The Tollen’s test for the presence of reducing sugars (say, in a urine sample) involves treating the sample with silver ions in aqueous ammonia. The result is the formation of a silver mirror within the reaction vessel if a reducing sugar is present. Using glucose, C₆H₁₂O₆, to illustrate this test, the oxidation–reduction reaction occurring is

What has been oxidized, and what has been reduced? What is the oxidizing agent, and what is the reducing agent?

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C6H12O6 (aq) + 2 Ag+ (aq) + 2 OH-(aq) → C6H₁2O7(aq) + 2 Ag(s) + H₂O(l)