Chapter 14: Problem 5
\(\mathrm{N}\) atoms can have a wide range of oxidation numbers. Assign oxidation numbers for the \(\mathrm{N}\) atom in each compound, all of which are known compounds. a) \(\mathrm{N}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{5}\) b) \(\mathrm{N}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}\) c) \(\mathrm{NO}_{2}\) d) \(\mathrm{NO}\) e) \(\mathrm{N}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{4}\) f) \(\mathrm{NH}_{3}\)
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Understand the concept of oxidation numbers
Calculate oxidation number for N in N2O5
Calculate oxidation number for N in N2O4
Calculate oxidation number for N in NO2
Calculate oxidation number for N in NO
Calculate oxidation number for N in N2H4
Calculate oxidation number for N in NH3
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Nitrogen Compounds
- Nitrogen often pairs with oxygen to form oxides, such as dinitrogen pentoxide (\(\mathrm{N}_2\mathrm{O}_5\)) and nitrogen dioxide (\(\mathrm{NO}_2\)). These compounds display nitrogen in oxidation states of +5 and +4, respectively.
- Nitrogen can bond with hydrogen to form amines and ammonia (\(\mathrm{NH}_3\)), where it has an oxidation state of -3. This demonstrates nitrogen's capability of forming rather negative oxidation numbers.
- Other compounds like hydrazine (\(\mathrm{N}_2\mathrm{H}_4\)) show nitrogen in a -2 state, indicating its rich and diverse electron sharing capabilities.
Electron Tracking
- Oxidation numbers are a handy tool for tracking electrons. These numbers represent the hypothetical charge of an atom if all bonds in the compound were completely ionic.
- For instance, in compounds such as \(\mathrm{N}_2\mathrm{O}_5\) and \(\mathrm{NH}_3\), it is the differences in oxidation states of nitrogen that help chemists track electron movement. In \(\mathrm{N}_2\mathrm{O}_5\), each nitrogen atom has an oxidation number of +5, indicating it has "lost" electrons.
- Determining these numbers involves considering the known charges of other atoms in a molecule (e.g., oxygen is typically -2 and hydrogen +1), and using algebraic equations to solve for the unknown oxidation states.
Redox Chemistry
- Redox reactions are characterized by two parts: reduction, where a species gains electrons, and oxidation, where a species loses electrons.
- The concept of oxidation numbers plays a critical role in identifying which species are oxidized and which are reduced. For instance, in nitrogen oxides like \(\mathrm{NO}\) and \(\mathrm{N}_2\mathrm{O}_4\), monitoring changes in the oxidation state of nitrogen highlights the direction and magnitude of electron flow.
- This type of chemistry allows for applications such as energy generation in batteries, where understanding how electrons move between compounds is key to efficient operation.