How can I assign oxidation numbers to each of the atoms?

1 Answer

Without knowing which atoms in particular, here are a few rules:

  1. Solid metals and diatomic gases always have an oxidation number (ON) of zero.
  2. Alkali metals (column #1) always have an oxidation number of +1
  3. Halogens, following a metal, have an ON of -1

  4. Hydrogen, acting like a metal, will have a charge of +1 and oxygen will have a charge of -2

  5. Peroxides made with a column 1 metal and oxygen for ex: #K_2O_2#, or #H_2O_2#, the oxygen will have a -1 charge. There are peroxides with column 2 metals, for example #MgO_2#, the Oxygen will still have a charge of -1.

  6. Metal hydrides, made with a metal first and a hydrogen last, for example, #NaH#, the H will have a charge of -1

  7. Count the polyatomic atoms on the back of the high school periodic table, as what they are to help determine any other atom in a formula.

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