2.10.2 Oxidation States

Question 1

What can oxidation states be used for?

Answer 1

Oxidation states can be used to work out how oxidised or reduced something is

Question 2

What is the oxidation state of an element?

Answer 2

The oxidation state of an element is always zero

Question 3

What does the oxidation state always equal in a compound?

Answer 3

Zero

Question 4

What does the oxidation state equal in an ion?

Answer 4

The charge

Question 5

What is the oxidation state of group 1?

Answer 5

+1

Question 6

What is the oxidation state of group 2?

Answer 6

+2

Question 7

What is the oxidation state of group 3?

Answer 7

+3

Question 8

What is the oxidation state of Fluorine?

Answer 8

-1

Question 9

What is the oxidation state of oxygen?

Answer 9

-2 (except in peroxide compounds)

Question 10

What is the oxidation state of chlorine?

Answer 10

-1 (unless with F or O)

Question 11

What is the oxidation state of Hydrogen?

Answer 11

+1 (except in metal hydrides, where it is -1)

Question 12

What’s the oxidation state of S in CuSO4?

Answer 12

+4

Question 13

What are the steps to work out oxidation states?

Answer 13

1- write down the formula
2- write the oxidation states above the symbols for each known state
3- work out the oxidation state for the unknown

Question 14

What is an oxidation state?

Answer 14

An oxidation state is the number of electrons needed to be gained or lost to make a neutral atom