Sample Problem 4.6
Determining the Oxidation Number of an Element
PROBLEM:
Determine the oxidation number (O.N.) of each element in the following compounds:
(a) zinc chloride
(b) sulfur trioxide
(c) nitric acid
PLAN:
SOLUTION:
O.N.s of the ions in a polyatomic ion add up to the charge of the ion; O.N.s of the ions in the compound add up to zero.
(a) ZnCl2. The O.N. for zinc is +2 and that for chloride is -1.
(b) SO3. Each oxygen is an oxide with an O.N. of -2. Therefore, the O.N. of sulfur must be +6.
(c) HNO3. H has an O.N. of +1 and each oxygen is -2. Therefore, N must have an O.N. of +5.
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