It must be equal to the charge on the compound/ion
To determine the oxidation number of an element, consider its usual oxidation state based on its position in the periodic table and the known oxidation states of other elements in the compound. In a neutral compound, the sum of the oxidation numbers must equal zero, and in an ion, the sum must equal the charge of the ion. Use these rules to assign the oxidation number of the element.
The sum of the oxidation numbers of all the atoms in C6H5CHO is equal to zero. This is because in a neutral molecule like C6H5CHO, the total oxidation number must balance out to zero.
The oxidation number of carbonate ion (CO3) is -2. Each oxygen atom has an oxidation number of -2, and the sum of the oxidation numbers in the ion must equal the charge of the ion, which is -2.
The oxidation number of Mn in Mn2O7 is +7. This is because oxygen normally has an oxidation number of -2, and since the molecule is neutral, the sum of the oxidation numbers must equal zero.
In AsH3, arsenic (As) has an oxidation number of -3, as hydrogen (H) is typically assigned an oxidation number of +1. Since the overall charge of the molecule is neutral, the sum of the oxidation numbers must equal zero. Therefore, the oxidation number of arsenic is calculated as -3 to balance the +1 oxidation number of each hydrogen atom.
To determine the oxidation number of an element, consider its usual oxidation state based on its position in the periodic table and the known oxidation states of other elements in the compound. In a neutral compound, the sum of the oxidation numbers must equal zero, and in an ion, the sum must equal the charge of the ion. Use these rules to assign the oxidation number of the element.
The sum of the oxidation numbers of all the atoms in C6H5CHO is equal to zero. This is because in a neutral molecule like C6H5CHO, the total oxidation number must balance out to zero.
The oxidation number of carbonate ion (CO3) is -2. Each oxygen atom has an oxidation number of -2, and the sum of the oxidation numbers in the ion must equal the charge of the ion, which is -2.
The oxidation number of Mn in Mn2O7 is +7. This is because oxygen normally has an oxidation number of -2, and since the molecule is neutral, the sum of the oxidation numbers must equal zero.
In AsH3, arsenic (As) has an oxidation number of -3, as hydrogen (H) is typically assigned an oxidation number of +1. Since the overall charge of the molecule is neutral, the sum of the oxidation numbers must equal zero. Therefore, the oxidation number of arsenic is calculated as -3 to balance the +1 oxidation number of each hydrogen atom.
The oxidation number of calcium in the compound CaOCl2 is +2. In compounds, the sum of the oxidation numbers must equal zero, and since oxygen has an oxidation number of -2 and chlorine has an oxidation number of -1, the calcium ion must have an oxidation number of +2 to balance the charges.
The oxidation number of Na in Na2S is +1. The oxidation number of S is -2. The sum of the oxidation numbers of all atoms in a compound must equal zero.
In KCrO2, potassium (K) has an oxidation number of +1, oxygen (O) has an oxidation number of -2, and the overall compound has a neutral charge. The sum of the oxidation numbers must equal zero, so the oxidation number of chromium (Cr) is +4.
The oxidation number of an atom in its elemental form is 0. In a compound, the sum of oxidation numbers must equal the overall charge of the compound. In a polyatomic ion, the sum of oxidation numbers must equal the charge of the ion. Some elements have fixed oxidation numbers (e.g., alkali metals +1, alkaline earth metals +2).
The oxidation number of sulfur in SO32 is +4. This is because oxygen always has an oxidation number of -2, so the sum of the oxidation numbers in the compound must equal the charge of the ion, which is -2 for SO32.
The oxidation number of chromium in MgCrO4 is +6. Since the overall charge of the compound is 0, the sum of the oxidation numbers must equal 0. Therefore, the oxidation number of oxygen is -2.
The sum of the oxidation numbers in a compound is zero for a neutral compound. This is because the total positive oxidation numbers from the cations must equal the total negative oxidation numbers from the anions to balance out and form a neutral compound.