Can someone please double check if I have oxidised the number of sulfur correctly for the following ions? The question is in the description box below.
My answers are #S_20^2-(_4) and s=4+
and the other one s=3
My answers are #S_20^2-(_4) and s=4+
and the other one s=3
1 Answer
Your sulfur-based polyatomic anions are:
"S"_2"O"_4^(2-)
"S"_2"O"_3^(2-)
Dithionite has four oxygens, each of the typical oxidation state of
overbrace(2xxO_S)^(S_2) + overbrace(4 xx -2)^(O_4) = overbrace(-2)^"charge"
and each sulfur has on average,
Thiosulfate has three oxygens, each of the typical oxidation state of
overbrace(2xxO_S)^(S_2) + overbrace(3 xx -2)^(O_3) = overbrace(-2)^"charge"
and each sulfur has on average,
In reality this is not true; the second one is a sulfate analog, so we distinguish between the central sulfur and the outer sulfur...
"S"_2"O"_3^(2-) then has a central sulfur oxidation state of+4 and outer sulfur oxidation state of-2 (just like each oxygen atom).