What is the oxidation state of the each atom in the following compounds? Ex: H3PO4: Na +1, O -2, P +5

HClO3
Na-O-O-Na
thank you in advance to whoever helps me!

1 Answer
Apr 23, 2018

In #"chloric acid"# we gots #Cl(+V)#...

Explanation:

...and #"chloric acid"#, #Cl(+V)#, is the counterpart of #"perchloric acid"#. #Cl(+VII)#. The oxygen and hydrogens have standard oxidation states of #-II#, and #+I# respectively.

And now to #"peroxide"#. Here we gots #""^(-)O-O^(-)# formally...now by definition the oxidation number is the charge left on an individual atom, when the bonds are broken with the charged assigned to the MOST electronegative atom...

We do this for water, and we get #H_2Orarr2xxH^+ +O^(2-)#...and thus oxidation states of #O(-II)# and #H(+I)#. But we do this for hydrogen peroxide, #HO-OH#, we break an oxygen-oxygen bond...and here the electrons are conceived to be shared to give: #HO-OHrarr2xxdotOHrarrstackrel(-I)O+stackrel(+I)H#

And likewise for sodium peroxide...#Na_2O_2#...or #Na^+""^(-)O-O^(-)Na^+#, we gots #Na(+I)# and #O(-I)#... Capisce?