Hello,
I cant get oxidation numbers right. How do I get the oxidation number of Br in HBrO? Is it that H is +1, Br is -1 and O is -2? So the oxidation number is -2? Or is it wrong?
what is the charge on HBrO? If it is zero, then the Br would have to be +1. Oxygen is always -2, then Hydrogen is +1, so Br would have to be +1 in order for everything to equal out. Dr. Bob can usually answer all my chemistry questions, and he can tell you if I am right or not, but I think that I have a grasp on oxidation
I still don't understand how do I know what is the oxidation state of Br.
Ken is right.
Here is a site on oxidation numbers that is one of the simplest sites I have seen. Specifically, however, ALL compounds are zero. So HBrO is zero charge. Since H is +1, and O is -2, what must Br be to make HBrO zero? It must be +1.
(Broken Link Removed)
Understand now, thank you
To determine the oxidation number of an element in a compound, you should consider a few rules:
1. The oxidation number of an isolated element, such as Br or O, is always 0.
2. The sum of the oxidation numbers in a compound is equal to the overall charge of the compound. In the case of HBrO, the compound is neutral, so the sum of the oxidation numbers should be 0.
Now, let's find the oxidation number of Br in HBrO:
1. Since hydrogen (H) is less electronegative than Br, it is usually assigned an oxidation number of +1 in most compounds.
2. Oxygen (O) usually has an oxidation number of -2 in most compounds, except for peroxides.
3. We can use the rule that the sum of the oxidation numbers equals the charge of the compound to determine the oxidation number of Br.
Let's proceed step-by-step:
Since hydrogen usually has an oxidation number of +1 and there is only one hydrogen atom, the total oxidation number contribution from hydrogen is +1.
We know oxygen usually has an oxidation number of -2, and there is one oxygen atom in the compound, so the total oxidation number contribution from oxygen is -2.
Finally, let's denote the oxidation number of Br as x.
Given that the overall charge of the compound HBrO is 0, the sum of the oxidation numbers must be 0.
So, we have the equation: +1 (from hydrogen) + x (from bromine) - 2 (from oxygen) = 0.
Simplifying this equation, we get x - 1 - 2 = 0, or x - 3 = 0. Solving for x, we find that x = +3.
Therefore, the oxidation number of Br in HBrO is +3.