Chemistry
Chemistry
Problem
The oxidation number of carbon in is: a. 2 b. +2 c. 0 d. +4Intuitive explanation
Oxidation numbers are a bookkeeping tool for tracking electron transfer in compounds. The key is to assign oxidation states to each atom using the rules in order (hydrogen is usually +1, oxygen is usually −2), then solve for the unknown. Since the atoms in a neutral molecule must sum to zero, you can set up a simple equation to find carbon's oxidation state.
Intuitive explanation
Oxidation numbers are a bookkeeping tool for tracking electron transfer in compounds. The key is to assign oxidation states to each atom using the rules in order (hydrogen is usually +1, oxygen is usually −2), then solve for the unknown. Since the atoms in a neutral molecule must sum to zero, you can set up a simple equation to find carbon's oxidation state.