What is the oxidation number of Cl in ClO2-?

Understand the Problem

The question is asking for the oxidation number of chlorine (Cl) in the chlorite ion (ClO2-). To solve this, we can use the rules for determining oxidation numbers, where oxygen typically has an oxidation number of -2. Given that there are two oxygen atoms, we can set up an equation to find the oxidation number of chlorine.

More Information

Each oxygen atom has an oxidation state of -2, and the ion carries an overall charge of -1. To satisfy this, chlorine must have an oxidation state of +3 to balance the partial charges.

Tips

A common mistake is to not account for the total charge of the ion correctly when assigning oxidation states.

Sources

• The web page with info on - Example Source - homework.study.com
• Oxidation state of Cl in ClO 2 is? - BYJU'S - byjus.com