What are the elemental oxidation states in nitrate anion, #NO_3^(-)#?

1 Answer
anor277
Feb 24, 2017

The nitrogen centre is formally #N^(+V)# in the #"nitrate anion....."# And as is typical, we gots #3xxO(-II)#..

Explanation:

The sum of the oxidation states of the individual elements in a compound ion ALWAYS equals the overall charge on the ion. Here we have the #NO_3^-# ion, in which oxygen assumes its usual oxidation state of #-II#. And thus

#3xx(-II)+N_"oxidation state"=-1#

Add #+6# to both sides:

#N_"oxidation state"=+V#

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