Table of Contents
A Brief Introduction to Oxidation State
Oxidation State – Meaning: An oxidation state is a number assigned to an atom in a molecule that indicates the degree of oxidation of that atom. The oxidation state of a molecule is determined by the sum of the oxidation states of the atoms in the molecule. The most common oxidation state is 0, which indicates an atom that is not oxidized. The oxidation state of an atom can be positive or negative. A positive oxidation state indicates that the atom is oxidized, and a negative oxidation state indicates that the atom is reduced.
What does Oxidation State Mean?
Oxidation state is a measure of the extent of oxidation of an atom in a molecule. It is a number assigned to an atom in a molecule, and is calculated by subtracting the number of electrons that atom has lost from the number of electrons it has gained.
Origin and Discovery of Oxidation State
The oxidation state is a measure of the degree of oxidation of an atom in a chemical compound. It is a number assigned to an atom in a molecule, and indicates the number of electrons that have been removed from or added to the atom. The origin of the oxidation state is unknown, but it was first proposed by J. J. Berzelius in 1834.
The discovery of the oxidation state is also unknown, but it was first used by chemists in the early 1800s.
What does Oxidation Entail?
Oxidation is the process of losing electrons. In chemistry, this process is often referred to as “oxidation state.” When an element loses electrons, its oxidation state increases.
Oxidation States – The Highest and the Lowest
The highest oxidation state is +8 and the lowest is –2.
Rules to identify and assign Oxidation States
- The oxidation state of an atom is the charge it would have if all the electrons in its outer shell were transferred to the most electronegative atom in a compound. The oxidation state of an atom is usually written as a Roman numeral after the element’s symbol.
- The oxidation state of an atom can be identified by counting the number of electrons in its outer shell and subtracting the number of electrons that are already assigned to that atom in the compound. For example, in the compound potassium chloride, the oxidation state of potassium is +1 and the oxidation state of chlorine is -1. This is because potassium has one electron in its outer shell and it has already been assigned to the atom in the compound. Chlorine has seven electrons in its outer shell and it has six electrons assigned to it in the compound, so its oxidation state is -1.
Oxidation Number Calculation
- The oxidation number of an atom is the number of electrons that atom would need to gain to become an ion with a charge of 1+. The oxidation number of an element in a compound is the average oxidation number of the atoms of that element in the compound.
- The oxidation number of an atom can be found by using the following equation:
- Oxidation Number = (# of valence electrons) – (# of electrons gained in forming ion)
- The oxidation number of an atom is also found by using the following equation:
- Oxidation number = (# of protons) – (# of electrons
Oxidation States and Numbers:
- The oxidation state of an atom is the charge it has after losing or gaining electrons. The oxidation state is written as a number, and it can be positive or negative. The oxidation state of an atom is usually shown as a Roman numeral in parentheses after the symbol for the atom.
- The oxidation state of an atom can be found by subtracting the number of electrons in the cation from the number of electrons in the anion.
Types of Redox Reactions
There are five types of redox reactions:
combination, decomposition, displacement, oxidation, and reduction.
- Combination: In a combination reaction, two substances combine to form a new substance.
- Decomposition: In a decomposition reaction, a substance breaks down into two or more substances.
- Displacement: In a displacement reaction, one element displaces another element from its compound.
- Oxidation: In an oxidation reaction, a substance loses electrons.
- Reduction: In a reduction reaction, a substance gains electrons.
