What is the oxidation number of phosphorus in PO4^3-?

Understand the Problem

The question is asking for the oxidation number of phosphorus in the phosphate ion (PO4^3-). To determine this, we need to consider the known oxidation states of the other elements in the ion and apply rules for calculating oxidation numbers.

Answer

+5

The final answer is +5

Answer for screen readers

The final answer is +5

More Information

Phosphorus can exhibit different oxidation states, but in the phosphate anion (PO4^3-), it is commonly +5 due to the overall charge balance and the fixed oxidation state of oxygen.

Tips

A common mistake is not taking the overall charge of the ion into account when calculating the oxidation number.

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