89.1k views
2 votes
What is the oxidation number for S in the compound SO3? (Recall that O has an oxidation number of –2.) A. 0

User Stack Guru
by
6.6k points

2 Answers

4 votes

Answer:

+6

Step-by-step explanation:

edge 2021!

User Anna Geller
by
6.4k points
4 votes

Answer:


\boxed {\boxed {\sf +6}}

Step-by-step explanation:

A compound must have a net charge of 0. The charges have to balance each other out and equal 0.

We have the compound sulfur trioxide with a chemical formula of SO₃.

Oxygen (O) has an oxidation state of -2, which means it will have a charge of -2 in the compound. However, note there is a subscript after the O in the chemical formula. Therefore, there are 3 oxygen atoms in the compound and each one has a charge of -2. The oxygen has an overall charge of -6 because 3*-2 = -6.

There is only one atom of sulfur (there is no subscript, so a 1 is implied). It has to balance out the -6 charge of the oxygen atoms, so it must be +6.

The oxidation number for sulfur is +6 in the compound sulfur trioxide.

User Vdegenne
by
6.8k points