What is the oxidation state of sulfur in H2SO4? (2023) 2023
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the oxidation state of sulfur in H2SO4? (2023) 2023
+2
+4
+6
0
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the oxidation state of sulfur in H2SO4? (2023) 2023
Step 1: Identify the chemical formula H2SO4. This means there are 2 hydrogen (H) atoms, 1 sulfur (S) atom, and 4 oxygen (O) atoms.
Step 2: Determine the common oxidation states of hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen usually has an oxidation state of +1, and oxygen usually has an oxidation state of -2.
Step 3: Calculate the total oxidation contribution from the hydrogen atoms. Since there are 2 hydrogen atoms, the total contribution is 2 * (+1) = +2.
Step 4: Calculate the total oxidation contribution from the oxygen atoms. Since there are 4 oxygen atoms, the total contribution is 4 * (-2) = -8.
Step 5: Set up the equation for the overall charge of the molecule. H2SO4 is neutral, so the sum of all oxidation states must equal 0: (+2) + (oxidation state of S) + (-8) = 0.
Step 6: Solve for the oxidation state of sulfur (S). Rearranging the equation gives: oxidation state of S = 0 - (+2) + (+8) = +6.
Step 7: Conclude that the oxidation state of sulfur in H2SO4 is +6.
