Question

Give scientific reason for: Discuss the oxidation number of oxygen in oxide, dioxide and superoxide.

Answer 1

Oxidation numbers are an extremely useful form of chemical accounting, but should not be considered as having any actual reality as the fractional oxidation numbers are perfectly possible, and cannot have half an electron.

An oxidation number of +7 is assigned to chlorine in perchlorates, but the idea that you could possibly strip 7 electrons off a chlorine atom is unthinkable.

Answer 2

Oxidation numbers are very useful form of Chemical Accounting