Phosphorus can have several different oxidation numbers ranging i...

Question

Phosphorus can have several different oxidation numbers ranging in value from -3 to +5.
(a) When phosphorus burns in air or oxygen, it yields either tetraphosphorus hexoxide or tetraphosphorus decoxide. Write the formula and give the oxidation number for each compound.

Accepted Answer

Hello. Everyone in this video, we're talking about tetra arsenic, hex oxide and tetra arsenic oxide for being asked what is the formula And the oxidation states for each compound. Let's take a look at first hour Tetra arsenic hex oxide which will do all the work in green here. Alright, so in the name the tetra arsenic. So tetra is a prefix for four. So we have four of our arsenic and then we have hex oxide. So hex is the prefix for six. So we have six oxygen's. So that's going to be the formula for the texture arsenic oxide. Now to find the oxidation state of our arsenic and as well as our oxygen. So we're gonna go ahead and let X equal the oxidation state of arsenic. Our oxygen here is always going to be negative two here. And we can see from the molecule that the overall more secure, It's equal to zero. It is neutral. So basically all the oxidation states will have to equal to zero. Again, we have a S 406 C. We say we said that our oxygen will always equal to negative two oxidation states. Arsenic Beach is just X. Again, we have our overall molecule going to zero. We have four unknowns. We have four Xs. And then we have six of our negative two's here is performing simple arithmetic. So we're combining the six and the two together is negative 12. We're taking negative 12 and putting on the opposite side of the equation side. So that becomes a positive two or 12. We're going to four X. Out of solving for X by both sides by four to give us three, we're going to X. So the oxidation state of our arsenic or arsenic outside is going to be plus three. So we'll just write this up. So the oxidation state of arsenic is equal to plus three and then our oxygen is equal to negative two. So that's going to be our first answer. Now for our teacher arsenic arsenic oxide. We'll just do all the work in blue. So the again, the tetra arsenic, we have a prefix of spectra. So that's going to be four. We have four are cynics and then take oxide. Well deck is going to be the prefix for 10. So we have 10 hour oxygen's that's the formula for our molecule here. Alright, again, we're gonna go ahead and let X equals to the oxidation state of arsenic. And again, the overall molecule charge here is of course just zero. We have a neutral molecule. Okay, again versus writing the A. S. 40. 10. We said that each O. Is negative two and each A. S. Is equal to X. Okay, so we have an overall charge of zero. We have four announce of four X. And then we're adding what we have 10 of our oxygen atoms each oxygen right second to charge the oxidation state. So then we're combining here. So 10 times two is equal to negative 20. We're taking the negative 20 putting it on the opposite side of our equation sign. Because it positive 20 we go into four X. So for X, you just divide both sides by four, giving us a positive five to be our oxidation state of our city. So here are oxidation state of arsenic is going to be equal to positive five auction is equal to negative two. That's going to be my last answer here for this problem. Thank you all so much about you.

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