Determining Oxidation Numbers

Rule #1: The oxidation state of an uncombined element not possessing an electric charge is always zero.
This is true regardless of whether the element exists as an atom or a polyatomic molecule. This means
that O2 (oxygen), Mg2 (magnesium), Al (aluminum), He (helium), and S8 (sulfur) have the oxidation
number zero, because the oxidation state of the individual atoms wasn’t changed during the formation
of the molecule. The bonds between atoms of the same element are always covalent, wherein electrons
are shared, rather than ionic, wherein electrons are passed from one reagent to another. The question
of oxidation states only applies to reactions where ionic bonds are formed.

Rule #2: The oxidation number of a monatomic ion is equal to the charge on it. For instance, Na + (sodium
ion with one electron missing), Al3+ (aluminum ion with three electrons missing), and Cl– (chlorine ion
with one extra electron) have the oxidation numbers +1, +3, and -1, respectively. However, many metals
as well as nonmetals can form different ions (notably carbon, sulfur, and iron), and can have multiple
oxidation states. So, though the charge is equal to the oxidation state, it may not be consistent.

Rule #3: The oxidation number of oxygen is almost always -2. The only time oxygen’s oxidation number
shifts is when it is part of a class of compounds called ‘peroxides’. In that case, it becomes -1.

Rule #4: Similarly, the oxidation number of hydrogen is almost always +1. The only time this is altered is
if hydrogen forms a transitional binary hydride with a metal. In this rare event, it becomes -1.

Rule #5: Lying in the same group of the periodic table as hydrogen, alkali metals such as lithium, sodium,
and potassium also have an oxidation number of +1. The only time this changes is when the metals are
in the elemental form, in which case their oxidation state is zero.

What is the oxidation number of phosphorus in H3PO2 molecule? (Delhi 2010)

Answer:

Oxidation number of H is +1

Oxidation number of O is -2

H3PO2

3 + x- 4 = 0 or x – 1 = 0 ∴ x = + 1

Thus oxidation number of P in H3PO2 = +1.