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What is the oxidation number of a manganese atom in Mn2O7?

1.+3
2.+4
3.+6
4.+7

User Soshial
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The oxidation number of manganese in Mn2O7 is +7, which is found by balancing the total oxidation numbers in the compound with the known oxidation state of oxygen (-2). The correct option is 4.+7.

Step-by-step explanation:

The oxidation number of a manganese atom in Mn2O7 is +7. To determine this, we observe that oxygen typically has an oxidation number of -2. Given that there are 7 oxygen atoms, the total oxidation number for oxygen is -14.

The compound is neutral overall, so the sum of the oxidation numbers for manganese must balance this to be +14.

Since there are two manganese atoms, each must have an oxidation number of +7 to achieve this balance. This also agrees with the known chemistry of manganese compounds where Mn can exhibit various oxidation states, with +7 being the highest possible for the fourth period transition metals.

User Adelle
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