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Oxidation numbers

Asked by babyangel22 7 months ago, 2 answers.

How would you find the oxidation number of
H2SO4
and
HCl?
Explain please?

Answered by cassidyx on Apr 07, 2009, 04:19PM
140 answers

It's their location on the periodic table.
H is a 1+ and Cl is a 1- so they are balanced.

Answered by vegetarianvamp817 on Apr 07, 2009, 04:23PM
11 answers

Compounds have no oxidation numbers because they have no charge, but if you're looking for the oxidation numbers of the elements in the compound, they can be found as the subscript of the element it's bonded to. For example, in the formula for magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)2, the oxidation number for magneium is as hydroxide's subscript (2), and the oxidation number for hydroxide is found as magnesium's subscript (understood 1). But you have to be careful because if the oxidation numbers are the same, there won't be a subscript and you can't get it from the formula; you just have to know.
Hydrogen's is +1, Chlorine's is -1, Sulfate's is -2. Hope this helps happy

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