the average Oxidation state of iron in Fe3O4 ? Explain .
Answers
The oxidation states are usually in whole numbers, but in some cases, they are in fractional numbers. Consider Fe3O4.
Using rule #2, the sum of the oxidation state of all atoms is 0
Using rule #6, the O has the oxidation state of -2. 4x(-2) = -8
Equation: 3Fe + (-8) = 0
3Fe = 8
Fe = 8/3
In most cases, atoms of the same element in a given compound have the same oxidation states, but each atom can have a different state than the other. For Fe3O4, two Fe atoms have an oxidation state of +3 and one of +2, which makes the total oxidation state of Fe= 8/3.
Instead of averaging the oxidation states, we must keep them separated. This is called fragmenting, which occurs if there is an ionic compound, and the ions can be separated. The oxidation state of the individual atoms in the different ions can be determined.
Answer:
Explanation:
+2 and+3
