What is the oxidation number of phosphorus in P2O3?
O mostly always has a -2 charge, three O's = -6. The two P atoms must balance that charge with +6 since P2O3 overall has no charge. If 2 P = +6, then 1 P = +3.
is that right ?
Yes, that's right. The oxidation number of P in P2O3 is +3.
thank you !!
Yes, that is correct. In P2O3, since oxygen (O) usually has a charge of -2, the three oxygen atoms in total would have a charge of -6. Since the overall charge of P2O3 is neutral, the two phosphorus (P) atoms in total must balance out that charge with +6. Therefore, each individual phosphorus atom in P2O3 would have an oxidation number of +3.
Yes, that is correct! To determine the oxidation number of phosphorus in P2O3, you first consider the oxidation number of oxygen. Oxygen generally has a charge of -2 in most compounds. Since there are three oxygen atoms in P2O3, the total charge from the oxygen atoms is -6 (-2 x 3 = -6).
Since P2O3 is a neutral molecule and has no overall charge, the sum of the oxidation numbers of all the atoms must add up to zero. Let's assume the oxidation number of phosphorus is "x". Since there are two phosphorus atoms, the total charge from the phosphorus atoms is 2x.
So, the equation becomes: 2x - 6 = 0. Solving for x, we get x = +3.
Therefore, the oxidation number of phosphorus in P2O3 is +3.