Question

Find out the oxidation number of chlorine in the following compounds and arrange them in increasing order of oxidation number of chlorine.

$$\mathrm{NaClO}{\phantom{A}}_4,\mathrm{NaClO}{\phantom{A}}_3,\mathrm{NaClO},\mathrm{KClO}{\phantom{A}}_2,\mathrm{Cl}{\phantom{A}}_2\mathrm{O}{\phantom{A}}_7,\mathrm{ClO}{\phantom{A}}_3,\mathrm{Cl}{\phantom{A}}_2\mathrm{O},\mathrm{NaCl},\mathrm{Cl}{\phantom{A}}_2,\mathrm{ClO}{\phantom{A}}_2$$.

Which oxidation state is not present in any of the above compounds?

Answer 1

We can calculate the oxidation states by:

$$\mathrm{NaClO}{\phantom{A}}_4$$ Oxidation no. of chlorine = +7 

Suppose oxidation number of chlorine is x then, 1 + x + 4 × (−2) = 0

∴ x – 7 = 0 

x = +7

We can calculate, the oxidation states, as given below:

$$\mathrm{NaClO}{\phantom{A}}_3$$ Oxidation no. of chlorine = +5

$$\mathrm{NaClO}$$ Oxidation no. of chlorine = +1

$$\mathrm{KClO}{\phantom{A}}_2$$ Oxidation no. of chlorine = +3

​$$\mathrm{Cl}{\phantom{A}}_2\mathrm{O}{\phantom{A}}_7$$ Oxidation no. of chlorine = +7

$$\mathrm{ClO}{\phantom{A}}_3$$ Oxidation no. of chlorine = +6

$$\mathrm{Cl}{\phantom{A}}_2\mathrm{O}$$ Oxidation no. of chlorine = +1 

$$\mathrm{NaCl}$$ Oxidation no. of chlorine = −1

$$\mathrm{Cl}{\phantom{A}}_2$$ Oxidation no. of chlorine = 0

$$\mathrm{ClO}{\phantom{A}}_2$$ Oxidation no. of chlorine = +4.

Oxidation state (+2) is not present in any of the above compounds.