Which of the following contains the metal with the highest oxidation number?
a.
CaCl2
b.
NaCl
c.
FeCl3
d.
CuCl2
http://www.chemteam.info/Redox/Redox-Rules.html
I'll be happy to check your answers.
CuC12
To determine which compound contains the metal with the highest oxidation number, we need to consider the oxidation numbers of the metal in each compound.
a. CaCl2: Calcium (Ca) typically has an oxidation number of +2 in compounds, so the oxidation number of Ca in CaCl2 is +2.
b. NaCl: Sodium (Na) typically has an oxidation number of +1 in compounds, so the oxidation number of Na in NaCl is +1.
c. FeCl3: Iron (Fe) can have different oxidation numbers depending on the compound. In FeCl3, the chlorine (Cl) atoms each have an oxidation number of -1, so the oxidation number of Fe must be +3 to balance the charges.
d. CuCl2: Copper (Cu) can also have different oxidation numbers. In CuCl2, the chlorine (Cl) atoms each have an oxidation number of -1, so the oxidation number of Cu must be +2 to balance the charges.
Comparing the oxidation numbers, FeCl3 contains the metal (Fe) with the highest oxidation number, which is +3. So, the correct answer is c. FeCl3.
To determine which of the given compounds contains the metal with the highest oxidation number, we need to understand the concept of oxidation number and its relationship with different elements.
Oxidation number is a concept used to track the distribution of electrons in a compound. It represents the degree of oxidation (loss of electrons) or reduction (gain of electrons) that an atom has undergone in a chemical reaction.
In this case, we need to compare the oxidation numbers of metals in the given compounds. The higher the oxidation number, the greater the degree of oxidation.
Let's evaluate each compound one by one:
a. CaCl2:
Calcium (Ca) belongs to Group 2 in the periodic table. The oxidation number for Group 2 elements is +2, meaning it tends to lose two electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. Therefore, the oxidation number for calcium in CaCl2 is +2.
b. NaCl:
Sodium (Na) belongs to Group 1, and its oxidation number is generally +1 because it tends to lose one electron. Therefore, the oxidation number for sodium in NaCl is +1.
c. FeCl3:
Iron (Fe) can have different oxidation numbers depending on the compound. In this case, chlorine (Cl) is a halogen with an oxidation number of -1. Since there are three chlorine atoms, the total oxidation number contributed by chlorine is -3. Therefore, to balance out the overall charge of the compound (which is neutral), the oxidation number for iron in FeCl3 must be +3.
d. CuCl2:
Copper (Cu) also has variable oxidation numbers. In CuCl2, the two chlorine atoms would contribute a total oxidation number of -2. To balance out the overall charge of the compound, copper must have an oxidation number of +2.
Comparing the oxidation numbers for the metals in each compound, we can see that out of the given options, FeCl3 contains the metal (iron) with the highest oxidation number, which is +3.
So, the correct option is c. FeCl3.