Question #4a8a0
1 Answer
Oct 11, 2015
The most common oxidation numbers of sulfur is 0, -1 and -2. However, the oxidation number sulfur depends on what the sulfur is bound to. In other words, the oxidation number of sulfur depends on which compound we are talking about.
Explanation:
For example, the sulfur in SO2 (sulfur dioxide) has an oxidation number of +4. However in ZnS (zinc sulfide) the sulfur has an oxidation number of -2. So it is very dependent on the compound itself. However, due to its location in the periodic table and its electron affinity the most common oxidation numbers for sulfur is 0, -1 and -2.
