determine the oxidation number of each of the atoms of the following compounds:
1) H2S03
2) 0H^-
3) HPO4^2-
Here is a very good site on determining oxidations numbers.
https://www.chemteam.info/Redox/Redox-Rules.html
can someone help me do the first one.
my answer is:
H2 = +1
S = +4
O3 = -2
Is my answer correct?
Yes, you are correct on all. I would have liked it better if you had written EACH after H and O: like this:
H = +1 each
S = +4
O = -2 each
I shall be happy to check the others if you wish to post.Here is how I do them.
H is +1 almost always. ONly in hydride is it -1. Generally, if H is listed first, as in H2S, H2O, H2SO4, etc, it is +1. Listed second as in NaH, LiH etc it is a hydride and is -1.
Oxygen is almost always -2 except in peroxides where it is -1. But is is -2 here. Remember that the compound is zero charge so everything must add to zero.
So H is +1 each x 2 = +2.
O is -2 each x 3 = -6.
Then +2 + (S) -6 = 0
What is S? It is S = -2+6 = +4
You did great.
To determine the oxidation number of each atom in a compound, we need to follow a few rules. Here's how you can find the oxidation number for each atom in the compounds you mentioned:
1) H2SO3 (sulfurous acid)
In this compound, hydrogen (H) is usually assigned an oxidation number of +1 and oxygen (O) is usually assigned an oxidation number of -2.
Since the overall charge of the compound is 0, let's assign the oxidation number for sulfur (S) as follows:
2(+1) + x + 3(-2) = 0, where x is the oxidation number of sulfur.
Simplifying the equation, we get:
2 + x - 6 = 0
x - 4 = 0
x = +4
So, the oxidation number of sulfur (S) in H2SO3 is +4.
2) OH^- (hydroxide ion)
The hydroxide ion (OH^-) consists of one oxygen atom (O) and one hydrogen atom (H).
Hydrogen (H) is typically assigned an oxidation number of +1, and since the overall charge of the hydroxide ion is -1, the oxidation number for oxygen (O) should be -2.
Therefore, the oxidation number of each atom is:
Oxygen (O): -2
Hydrogen (H): +1
3) HPO4^2- (hydrogen phosphate ion)
To determine the oxidation numbers in this compound, we need to consider that hydrogen (H) is typically assigned an oxidation number of +1 and oxygen (O) is typically assigned an oxidation number of -2.
Let's assign the oxidation number for phosphorus (P) in HPO4^2- as follows:
1(+1) + x + 4(-2) = -2, where x is the oxidation number of phosphorus.
Simplifying the equation, we get:
1 + x - 8 = -2
x - 7 = -2
x = +5
So, the oxidation number of phosphorus (P) in HPO4^2- is +5.