Which substance is oxidized when sodium reacts with chlorine to form sodium chloride?

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Two diagrams show the three-dimensional structure of a methane molecule: panel A uses a ball-and-stick model with a central carbon atom connected to four hydrogen atoms in a tetrahedral arrangement, while panel B illustrates the bond angle of 109.5 degrees and bond length of 1.09 angstroms between carbon and hydrogen atoms. — chemical compound Methane, in which four hydrogen atoms are bound to a single carbon atom, is an example of a basic chemical compound. The structures of chemical compounds are influenced by complex factors, such as bond angles and bond length.

When sodium reacts with chlorine to form sodium chloride, the substance that is oxidized is sodium.

In this oxidation-reduction reaction, electrons are transferred from sodium atoms to chlorine atoms. Because oxidation is defined as the loss of electrons, each sodium atom loses an electron and is oxidized, while each chlorine atom gains an electron and is reduced. In this process, sodium acts as the reducing agent by furnishing the electrons, and chlorine acts as the oxidizing agent by consuming them.1