The oxidation number of sulphur in S8, S2 F2, H2 S and H2 SO4 respectively are: (a) 0,+1,-2 a

step 1 Hello, good evening student. So we have to tell the oxidation number of sulfur in the following

The oxidation number of sulphur in S8, S2 F2, H2 S and H2...

The oxidation number of sulphur in $\mathrm{S}_{8}, \mathrm{~S}_{2} \mathrm{~F}_{2}, \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{~S}$ and $\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{SO}_{4}$ respectively are:
(a) $0,+1,-2$ and 6
(b) $+2,0,+2$ and 6
(c) $0,+1,+2$ and 4
(d) $-2,0,+2$ and 6

Key Concepts

Oxidation Number

The oxidation number (or oxidation state) is a bookkeeping tool used in chemistry to keep track of electron transfer in redox reactions. It represents an atom’s hypothetical charge if all bonds to atoms of different elements were fully ionic, and is assigned according to a set of rules.

Oxidation Numbers in Elements

In any elemental form, such as S? (the elemental allotrope of sulphur), the oxidation number is defined as 0. This concept is crucial because it serves as a baseline for determining oxidation states in compounds.

Assigning Oxidation Numbers in Compounds

When calculating oxidation numbers in compounds, one uses rules such as assigning -1 to fluorine, considering hydrogen as usually +1 (unless bonded to metals), and ensuring that the sum of oxidation numbers equals the overall charge of the molecule. This systematic approach allows for determining unknown oxidation states in multi-element compounds.

Average versus Actual Oxidation States

In cases where a molecule contains atoms in different chemical environments, such as in S?F?, the ‘average’ oxidation state may be calculated. However, due to differences in bonding (often resulting from differences in electronegativity), individual atoms may actually have distinct oxidation states. Understanding the distinction between an average oxidation number and the actual oxidation states is important when analyzing molecular structure.

Please give Ace some feedback