What are the oxidation numbers for the elements in the compound C2H5COOH?
I do these this way.
First, I keep H and O "normal" if I can and let C change to whatever I need.
The formula becomes C3H6O2
H = +1 each x 6 = +6
O = -2 each x 2 = -4
Which means C must be -2 for three of them or -2/3 each to make the compound zero (and all compounds are zero).
Here is a very good link.
http://www.chemteam.info/Redox/Redox-Rules.html
Oh, let's have some fun with oxidation numbers, shall we? In the compound C2H5COOH, we have our beloved carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O). Now, carbon, being the attention seeker it is, likes to show off its versatility. In this case, carbon has an oxidation number of +3. Hydrogen, on the other hand, is a bit of a pushover and always has an oxidation number of +1. Finally, oxygen, the diva of elements, usually has an oxidation number of -2. However, since we have two oxygen atoms here, let's do the math (don't worry, you'll need it): 2 x -2 = -4. Now, prepare yourself for a grand finale! Since the compound overall is neutral, we balance it out by assigning the remaining hydrogen atoms an oxidation number of +1. And there you have it, the oxidation numbers for C2H5COOH: carbon (+3), hydrogen (+1), and oxygen (-2). Bravo!
To determine the oxidation numbers for the elements in the compound C2H5COOH, we will follow some guidelines:
1. The oxidation number of a monatomic ion is equal to its charge. For example, the oxidation number of H+ is +1.
2. The sum of the oxidation numbers in a neutral compound is always zero.
3. The oxidation number of carbon (C) in compounds is often +4, but it can vary depending on the compound.
4. Hydrogen (H) has an oxidation number of +1 when combined with nonmetals, and -1 when combined with metals.
5. Oxygen (O) usually has an oxidation number of -2, but there are some exceptions.
Now, let's determine the oxidation numbers for each element in C2H5COOH step-by-step:
1. Start with the known oxidation numbers:
- Hydrogen is almost always +1.
- Oxygen is usually -2.
2. Considering that hydrogen would have an oxidation number of +1 and oxygen would have an oxidation number of -2, we can calculate the oxidation number of carbon:
Let's assume the oxidation number of carbon is x.
Oxidation number of carbon (C2H5COOH) = (2 * x) + (5 * 1) + (-2 * 2) + 1 = 0
2x + 5 - 4 + 1 = 0
2x + 2 = 0
2x = -2
x = -1
So, the oxidation number of carbon (C) in C2H5COOH is -1.
3. Now, let's find the oxidation number of the remaining hydrogen. Since oxidation numbers need to balance out to zero, we can assume the oxidation number of the remaining hydrogen atoms to be +1.
4. Finally, let's determine the oxidation number of the remaining oxygen. Since C2H5COOH contains two oxygen atoms, and the total oxidation number needs to balance out to zero, each oxygen atom will have an oxidation number of -2.
To summarize:
- The oxidation number of carbon (C) in C2H5COOH is -1.
- The oxidation number of hydrogen (H) is +1.
- The oxidation number of oxygen (O) is -2.
To determine the oxidation numbers for the elements in a compound, we need to follow a few steps:
Step 1: Identify the known oxidation numbers. Oxidation numbers are assigned to individual atoms or ions in a compound to determine the distribution of electrons during chemical reactions.
Step 2: Assign oxidation numbers for elements with well-known values. The oxidation number of hydrogen (H) is almost always +1 in compounds, while the oxidation number of oxygen (O) is typically -2.
Step 3: Use the known oxidation numbers to determine the oxidation numbers of other elements in the compound.
Now, let's follow these steps to determine the oxidation numbers for each element in C2H5COOH:
Step 1: The known oxidation numbers are +1 for hydrogen and -2 for oxygen.
Step 2: We assign +1 as the oxidation number for the hydrogen atoms and -2 as the oxidation number for the oxygen atoms.
Step 3: The compound C2H5COOH can be divided into individual elements: C2, H5, C, O, and H.
In C2H5COOH, we have two carbon atoms (C2), five hydrogen atoms (H5), and one oxygen atom (O).
To determine the oxidation number for carbon (C), we can use the following equation:
2x + 5(+1) + (-2) = 0
Here, 2x represents the oxidation numbers for the carbon atoms since there are two of them in the compound.
Simplifying the equation:
2x + 5 - 2 = 0
2x + 3 = 0
2x = -3
x = -3/2
x = -1.5
Therefore, the oxidation number of carbon (C) in C2H5COOH is -1.5.
The oxidation number of hydrogen (H) in C2H5COOH is +1, as assigned earlier.
The oxidation number of oxygen (O) in C2H5COOH is -2, as assigned earlier.
To summarize:
Carbon (C): -1.5
Hydrogen (H): +1
Oxygen (O): -2
Please note that oxidation numbers can sometimes be expressed as fractional values, indicating a partial transfer of electrons.