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Working Out Oxidation States

First use the rules to work out the oxidation state of the more electronegative element. The more electronegative element has the negative oxidation number.All oxidation numbers should add up to the overall charge.

N in N₂O₃	2(+3) and 3(-2)

S in SO₄^2-	+6 and 4(-2)

O in OF₂	+2 and 2(-1)

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Specification: AQA Chemistry (7404), AS-level, 3.1.7 Oxidation, reduction and redox equations. Topic: Oxidation and Reduction.

Key terms in this lesson

Oxidation: The addition of oxygen, the removal of hydrogen, the loss of electrons, or an increase in oxidation number.
Oxidation number: A number that represents the number of electrons an atom has lost or gained, or would do if the compound were fully ionic.

More in Oxidation and Reduction

All 15 lessons in Oxidation and Reduction · All AQA AS-level Chemistry topics