What is the oxidation state of nitrogen in NH4Cl? (2023)

What is the oxidation state of nitrogen in NH4Cl? (2023)

Step 1: Identify the compound NH4Cl. It consists of ammonium (NH4+) and chloride (Cl-).
Step 2: Recognize that in NH4+, nitrogen (N) is bonded to four hydrogen (H) atoms.
Step 3: Know that hydrogen typically has an oxidation state of +1.
Step 4: Calculate the total oxidation state contributed by the four hydrogen atoms: 4 H x (+1) = +4.
Step 5: Since NH4+ is a positively charged ion, the total oxidation state of the ion must equal +1.
Step 6: Set up the equation for the oxidation state of nitrogen (x): x + 4 = +1.
Step 7: Solve for x: x = +1 - 4, which gives x = -3.
Step 8: Conclude that the oxidation state of nitrogen in NH4Cl is -3.

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