Becaus ethey have the weakest electronegativity causing them to share or lose their electrons.
•Oxidation State •Count the electrons- include charge! •Generally: -O always -2 (except as O2, H2O2) -H always +1 -Native elements- 0 -Alkalis +1, Alkali Earths +2, Halogens -1 -Total oxidation state should equal total charge •SiO2 • •Ca3(PO4)2 • •CH3OH • •Fe2O3
It's simply a convention that Oxidation state of Oxygen is always -2 and Oxidation state of Hydrogen is always +1
oxidation state of Fluorine is always -1.
OH-
Follow these 5 Rules1) The oxidation number of the atoms in a neutral molecule must add up to zero, and those in a charged ion must add up to the charge on the ion. 2) Alkali metal atoms (first column in the periodic table) have oxidation number +1, alkaline earth atoms (2nd column) have oxidation number +2.3) Fluorine always has oxidation number -1. Other halogens (next-to-last column in the periodic table) usually have oxidation number -1, except when they are bonded to oxygen or other halogens, when they can have positive oxidation numbers.4) Hydrogen has oxidation number +1 except in metal hydrides, such as LiH or CaH2, where Rule #2 takes precedence, and hydrogen has oxidation number -1.5) Oxygen has oxidation number -2, with two exceptions: In compounds where it is bonded to fluorine, Rule #3 takes precedence, and in compounds with O-O bonds, Rules #2 and #4 take precedence. So, for example, the oxidation number in OF2 is +2, and the oxidation number in peroxides such as H2O2 is -1 (and superoxides, the oxidation number is -1/2)It is also convenient to know the charge on these common ions:Nitrate is minus one: NO3-Hydroxide is minus one: OH-Sulfate is minus two: SO42-Carbonate is minus two: CO32-Phosphate is minus three: PO43-Ammonium is plus one: NH4+
The compound has no charge. This means that the positive oxidation numbers must equal the negative oxidation numbers. 'H' always has an oxidation number of +1. There are three of these atoms in the compound giving +3. To cancel out this positive number, the 'B' must equal -3.
The oxidation numbers of the elements in a chemical formula, some of which will be positive and others of which will be negative, when multiplied by the numbers of atoms with each oxidation number, must produce products that add to a net result of zero.
The simple answer is not always. The stoicheometry deals with oxidation numbers only in redox reactions. The ratio of the change in oxidation numbers is straightly its stoicheometry.
Always +1
It should always be ZERO.
The oxidation number determines how much an element is oxidated, so the oxidation number of...1. elements is always 0.2. of simple ions is always the charge, e.g. in Cu2+ the oxidation number of copper is +2.3. hydrogen is usually +1, oxygen usually -2, alkali metals +1, etc.In molecules without a charge, the sum of the oxidation numbers has to be 0. This way you can calculate the oxidation number of its compounds. For example in KMnO4, the oxidation number of oxygen is -2, of K is +1, so if the sum is zero then the oxidation number of Mn has to be +7.In complex ions (OH-, MnO4-, ...) the sum of the oxidation numbers has to be the charge of the ion. (so in OH- and MnO4- it's -1).
The sum of two positive numbers is always a positive number.
The product of negative number and a positive number is always a negative. The product of two positive numbers, or two negative numbers, is always a positive.
It is always positive, and not just for decimal numbers but for all numbers.
0 because all compounds have an oxidation number of 0. It's the ions (fe S O) that have oxidation numbers, The sum of these oxidation numbers always = 0 in a compound and hence a compound has a oxidation number of 0. :-) hope this helped....
If I understand the question correctly, the sum of two positive numbers will *always* yield a positive number. The product of two positive or two negative numbers will always yield a positive number. The division of two positive or two negative numbers will always yield a positive number. There are more examples along this line. I am not sure if this is what you wanted to know.
always positive