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Oxidation Number Assignment Rules

The document outlines the rules for assigning oxidation numbers to atoms, indicating that free elements have an oxidation number of 0, while monatomic ions have charges equal to their oxidation numbers. Specific rules are provided for elements like fluorine, halogens, oxygen, and hydrogen, detailing their typical oxidation states in compounds. Additionally, it states that the sum of oxidation numbers in neutral compounds is zero, while in polyatomic ions, it equals the ion's charge.

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11 views1 page

Oxidation Number Assignment Rules

The document outlines the rules for assigning oxidation numbers to atoms, indicating that free elements have an oxidation number of 0, while monatomic ions have charges equal to their oxidation numbers. Specific rules are provided for elements like fluorine, halogens, oxygen, and hydrogen, detailing their typical oxidation states in compounds. Additionally, it states that the sum of oxidation numbers in neutral compounds is zero, while in polyatomic ions, it equals the ion's charge.

Uploaded by

kuveerasingh24
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Rules for Assigning Oxidation Numbers

Oxidation numbers are real or hypothetical charges on atoms. They represent the charge an atom will
have if all the bonds were ionic, and are assigned by the following rules:

1. Free standing elements, or atoms in elemental form, or compounds made up of one or more
atoms of the same element, are assigned an oxidation number of 0 (e.g. Zn, Fe, Cl2, N2, etc)

2. All simple monatomic ions have oxidation numbers equal to their charges (e.g. all Group
IA ions are +1; all group IIA ions are +2; all the following ions have oxidation numbers
given by their charges – Na+, Ca2+, Fe2+, Al3+, S2- , N3-).

3. Fluorine is always -1 in its compounds.

4. Halogens are usually -1, except when a central atom or when combined with a more
electronegative element (e.g. assign I as -1 in NI3, but +3 in ICl3).

5. Oxygen is -2 in most of its compounds, except in cases like peroxides (H2O2, Na2O2) where it
is -1.

6. Hydrogen is usually +1, except in hydrides, particularly with metal cations, where
it is -1 (e.g. NaH, CaH2).

7. The sum of all oxidation numbers for a neutral compound is zero, while for a compound ion
(polyatomic ion) the sum is the charge on the ion.

8. Zn in a compound is always +2, while Ag in a compound is always +1.

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