16. Oxidation and Reduction
Calculate Oxidation Numbers
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Which of the following elements would have the lowest oxidation number?
A
Indium, In
B
Strontium, Sr
C
Argon, Ar
D
Manganese, Mn
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the concept of oxidation numbers: Oxidation numbers are used to indicate the degree of oxidation of an atom in a chemical compound. It is a hypothetical charge that an atom would have if all bonds to atoms of different elements were 100% ionic.
Identify the typical oxidation states of each element: Indium (In) typically has oxidation states of +1 and +3, Strontium (Sr) usually has an oxidation state of +2, Argon (Ar) is a noble gas and typically has an oxidation state of 0, and Manganese (Mn) can have multiple oxidation states ranging from -3 to +7.
Consider the nature of noble gases: Argon, being a noble gas, is chemically inert and does not typically form compounds, thus its oxidation number is 0.
Compare the oxidation numbers: Among the given elements, Argon has the lowest oxidation number because it is 0, while the others have positive oxidation numbers.
Conclude based on the comparison: Since Argon has an oxidation number of 0, which is lower than any positive oxidation number, it is the element with the lowest oxidation number among the options provided.
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