What is the primary oxidation state of chlorine in sodium chloride (NaCl)?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the primary oxidation state of chlorine in sodium chloride (NaCl)?
-1
0
+1
+2
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the primary oxidation state of chlorine in sodium chloride (NaCl)?
Step 1: Understand what oxidation state means. It is a number that shows how many electrons an atom has gained, lost, or shared when forming a compound.
Step 2: Identify the elements in sodium chloride (NaCl). It contains sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl).
Step 3: Know the common oxidation state of sodium (Na). Sodium usually has an oxidation state of +1.
Step 4: Since NaCl is a neutral compound, the total oxidation states must add up to zero.
Step 5: Set up the equation: +1 (from Na) + x (from Cl) = 0, where x is the oxidation state of chlorine.
Step 6: Solve for x: x = -1.
Step 7: Conclude that the primary oxidation state of chlorine in sodium chloride (NaCl) is -1.
