why does phosphorous and some other elements have two or more oxidation states
if they have more than one electron or lack of electrons in complete outer shell they can lose or gain electrons to form complete outer shells. Google oxidation reduction
How many atoms of chlorine are 4.50g of NaCl?
Phosphorus and certain other elements have multiple oxidation states because they can readily gain or lose electrons to form compounds with different numbers of electrons involved in chemical bonding.
The oxidation state of an element is a measure of the number of electrons it has gained or lost in a chemical compound. It indicates the degree of oxidation or reduction of that element. Elements commonly exhibit multiple oxidation states due to the availability of different energy levels or orbitals to accommodate varying numbers of electrons.
Phosphorus, for example, can have oxidation states ranging from -3 to +5. In its most common form, phosphorus exists with an oxidation state of +3 in compounds like phosphine (PH3) or phosphorus trichloride (PCl3). However, it can also exist with an oxidation state of +5 in compounds such as phosphorus pentachloride (PCl5) or phosphoric acid (H3PO4).
To determine the various oxidation states of an element, you can follow these steps:
1. Identify the compound or molecule that contains the element for which you want to determine the oxidation state.
2. Determine the known oxidation states of other elements in the compound. Some elements, like oxygen (-2) or hydrogen (+1), have fixed oxidation states in most compounds.
3. Determine the overall charge of the compound. This can be obtained by considering the charges of other ions or by considering the compound's neutral charge.
4. Assign an oxidation state to the element in question based on the known oxidation states of other elements and the overall charge of the compound.
5. Apply the principle of electroneutrality: the sum of all the oxidation states in a neutral compound should equal zero.
By following these steps and considering the electron configuration and bonding patterns of an element, you can determine its various oxidation states.