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Nonmetals also have high electron affinity. This means that it is energetically favorable to add an electron to a nonmetal. So, nonmetals can be easily reduced. Metals tend to have low electron affinity so it is more difficult to add electrons (or reduce them). In short: Metals have low ionization energies and low electron affinities so they are readily oxidized. Nonmetals have high ionization energies and high electron affinities so they are readily reduced.
Oxidation : Zn Zn2+ + 2 e-. The potential for the reduction of Cu 2+ ions to copper metal can be found in the table of standard-state reduction potentials. To find the potential for the oxidation of zinc metal, we have to reverse the sign on the potential for the Zn/Zn 2+ couple in this table.