What is the oxidation state of hydrogen in metal hydrides?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the oxidation state of hydrogen in metal hydrides?
+1
0
-1
+2
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the oxidation state of hydrogen in metal hydrides?
Correct Answer: -1
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 what metal hydrides are. Metal hydrides are compounds formed between metals and hydrogen.
Step 3: Recognize that in metal hydrides, hydrogen behaves differently than in other compounds. Normally, hydrogen has an oxidation state of +1 when bonded to nonmetals.
Step 4: In metal hydrides, hydrogen is bonded to metals, which are more electropositive. This means hydrogen will take on a negative charge.
Step 5: Conclude that in metal hydrides, hydrogen has an oxidation state of -1.
