What is the oxidation number of S in [S4O6] 2- ??

• Wei Jie 86

  20 Jun 07, 14:01

  any 1 knows???
• BusSpeeder

  20 Jun 07, 14:02

  what's this? chemistry????
  
  
• ctstalin

  20 Jun 07, 14:03

  +2.5
• Wei Jie 86

  20 Jun 07, 14:07

  Originally posted by ctstalin:

  +2.5

  sure not? ON can have decimal ar
• ctstalin

  20 Jun 07, 14:11

  Originally posted by Wei Jie 86:

  sure not? ON can have decimal ar

  yes
• FrozernFire

  20 Jun 07, 14:12

  O here has a charge of -2, so 6 of them -12 total. then overall another -2 so -14. then divide by 4 for +3.5 for each S. huh wtf?
• darkhour

  20 Jun 07, 14:15

  Originally posted by FrozernFire:

  O here has a charge of -2, so 6 of them -12 total. then overall another -2 so -14. then divide by 4 for +3.5 for each S. huh wtf?

  wrong liao...overal charge -2 so -2=6(-2)+4(oxidation number of S) therefore
  -2=-12+4(ON of S)
  10=4(ON of S)
  ON of S=+2.5
• teraexa

  20 Jun 07, 14:15

  In this case, the oxidation number for S is +2.5
  
  Why the decimal place?
  
  That's because the oxidation number is the average of the various oxidation states in the ion/molecule/compound.
  
  In this ion, also known as tetrathionate ion,
  
  
  
  There are 4 S atoms. There are 2 with oxidation state +0 while there are 2 with oxidation states +5. That averages out to +2.5 per S atom and hence corresponds to your oxidation number.
  
  FYI, the oxidation state of the 2 central S atoms is +0 is because any atom bonded with similar atoms has an oxidation state of +0.
• Wei Jie 86

  20 Jun 07, 14:19

  Originally posted by teraexa:

  In this case, the oxidation number for S is +2.5
  
  Why the decimal place?
  
  That's because the oxidation number is the average of the various oxidation states in the ion/molecule/compound.
  
  In this ion, also known as tetrathionate ion,
  
  
  
  There are 4 S atoms. There are 2 with oxidation state +0 while there are 2 with oxidation states +5. That averages out to +2.5 per S atom and hence corresponds to your oxidation number.
  
  FYI, the oxidation state of the 2 central S atoms is +0 is because any atom bonded with similar atoms has an oxidation state of +0.

  nice thx a lot
• Darkness_hacker99

  20 Jun 07, 14:20

  S4O6 = -2
  
  4S + 6(-2) = -2
  
  4S = +10
  
  S = + 2.5
• FrozernFire

  20 Jun 07, 14:21

  ok thnx too
• ndmmxiaomayi

  20 Jun 07, 14:23

  Polyatomic, so the oxidation number is = to the charge of the ion (in this case it's -2)
  
  4n + 6(-2) = -2
  4n + (-12) = -2
  4n = -2 + 12
  n = 2.5
  
  I think, might be wrong... 3 years no touch chemistry liao.
• ndmmxiaomayi

  20 Jun 07, 14:25

  Originally posted by FrozernFire:

  O here has a charge of -2, so 6 of them -12 total. then overall another -2 so -14. then divide by 4 for +3.5 for each S. huh wtf?

  Negative bring over to the other side is +, so is -2 + 12
• unclebutcher

  20 Jun 07, 17:02

  total charge 2-
  
  O6 is 12-
  
  so 12-(-2)=10
  
  10/4=2.5+ lor
  
  buttttttt listen all 4 s do NOT have the same oxidation state. it is only an average oxidation state. 2 sulphurs are bonded to 3 oxygens and 1 sulphur and the other 2 form bond wif each other only so those 2 got no charge
  
  3 oxygen + 1 sulphur (3+ + 2+) oxygen being more electronegative takes in one electron each and become O- then form single +1(lol) bond with sulphur and the sulphur forms double(+2) bond with the 0 charged sulphur so +1+1+1+2=+5 times 2 = +10
  
  in short oxidation state for 2 S is +5 and the other 2 is 0
• Mr.BullShyt

  20 Jun 07, 17:58

  3.0 X 10^8