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Topic: Finding Oxidation Numbers  (Read 7406 times)

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Offline enantiomorph

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Finding Oxidation Numbers
« on: September 27, 2006, 06:21:39 PM »
Hi, I know how to find oxidation numbers of chemical comounds using the standard rules.  However, I was wondering how do you find the oxidation numbers for the compound hydrogen cyanide HCN?  Does it have something to do with electronegativity?  Any help with this would be great.  Thanks!
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Offline Dan

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Re: Finding Oxidation Numbers
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2006, 06:27:20 PM »
It may help to draw out the structure:

H-C(triple bond)N

Think about the typical ox numbers of H and N....
   
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Offline Borek

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Re: Finding Oxidation Numbers
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2006, 06:43:53 PM »
IMHO that's one of these cases when struggling with ON is complete waste of time.
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Offline enantiomorph

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Re: Finding Oxidation Numbers
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2006, 09:03:11 PM »
Hi so I predict H is +1, C is +1 and N is -2 correct?  N is -2 because it has a stronger pull on the electrons in the triple bond?
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Offline AWK

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Re: Finding Oxidation Numbers
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2006, 03:23:03 AM »
The best idea is to imagine a hydrolysis of HCN to HCOOH and NH3 and set ON for nitrogen as that in ammonia (-3). Then ON for C is +2.

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Offline english

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Re: Finding Oxidation Numbers
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2006, 05:30:30 AM »
Quote from: enantiomorph on September 27, 2006, 09:03:11 PM
Hi so I predict H is +1, C is +1 and N is -2 correct?  N is -2 because it has a stronger pull on the electrons in the triple bond?

That seems right since N can have as low as -3.  I'm just doing some check work that the ON is not too low.  Don't assume that it is 2 based on what I just said though.
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