Question

Why does hydrogen not exhibit an oxidation state of 1− when bonded to nonmetals?

a. Hydrogen has a lower electronegativity than nonmetals.
b. Hydrogen forms exclusively ionic bonds with nonmetals.
c. Hydrogen has only one electron in its valence shell.
d. Hydrogen has a higher atomic mass than nonmetals.

Answer 1

Hydrogen does not exhibit an oxidation state of 1- when bonded to nonmetals due to the higher electronegativity of nonmetals and hydrogen's limited ability to form bonds.

Step-by-step explanation:

When hydrogen is bonded to nonmetals, it does not exhibit an oxidation state of 1-. This is because the electronegativity of nonmetals is greater than that of hydrogen. The negative charge is better represented on the nonmetal, which has a greater tendency to attract electrons in the bond to itself. Additionally, hydrogen has only one orbital with which to bond to other atoms, so only one two-electron bond can form.

The reason why hydrogen does not exhibit an oxidation state of 1- when bonded to nonmetals is that nonmetals generally have a higher electronegativity than hydrogen. Since nonmetals have a greater tendency to attract electrons towards themselves in a bond, they are more likely to carry the negative charge. Moreover, hydrogen has only one electron in its valence shell, allowing it to form only one two-electron bond, which typically results in a positive oxidation state when bonded with more electronegative nonmetals.