What is the oxidation number of sulfur in SO4^2-?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the oxidation number of sulfur in the sulfate ion (SO4^2-). To determine this, we need to consider the known oxidation state of oxygen and the overall charge of the ion.
Answer
+6
The final answer is +6
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is +6
More Information
A Sulfate ion (SO4^2-) comprises one sulfur atom and four oxygen atoms. The oxidation state of sulfur (+6) balances out the -8 contributed by the four oxygen atoms (each with an oxidation number of -2) to result in the overall charge of -2.
Tips
A common mistake is forgetting to account for the total charge on the ion when calculating oxidation states.
Sources
- Oxidation Numbers - Purdue University - chemed.chem.purdue.edu
- Find the oxidation number of S in SO42- ion - Toppr - toppr.com
- Cisplatin 3. Redox Chemistry - LibreTexts - chem.libretexts.org
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