Answer to Question #142463 in General Chemistry for yara

Question

What is the oxidation number for each element in the given compound and explain


Na2SO4

Answer 1

Sodium sulfate is an ionic compound composed of sodium cations Na+ and sulfate anion SO42- in ratio 2 : 1.

Sodium has an oxidation number of +1.

In most compounds, oxygen has an oxidation number of -2.

When dealing with compounds, the oxidation states of all the atoms that make up the compound must add up to give the overall charge of 0.

The oxidation states of sulfur x:

$0 = (+1 \times 2) + (-2 \times 4) + x$

$x = +6$

Answer: Na +1, S +6, O -2.