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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1999  > March  >
In the Classroom
Oxidation Numbers
Gion Calzaferri
University of Bern, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3000 Bern 9, Switzerland
Cover
March 1999
Vol. 76 No. 3
p. 362
Abstract
The generally accepted rules for assigning oxidation numbers lead to the result that the oxidation number of the carbon atoms of a saturated pure hydrocarbon molecule can vary by four units, from {3 to zero, as for example in CH3CH2CH(CH3)C(CH3)3. This violates Jørgensen's axiom 2, which states: If there is no serious reason to do otherwise, identical oxidation numbers are ascribed to atoms of the same element in a given compound. I propose to change this uncomfortable situation without losing the very useful features of oxidation numbers and without making the rules complicated. The carbon group is so important that its nonmetals should be treated separately. This can be expressed as follows: The oxidation number for hydrogen is 0 in combination with C, Si, Ge, and also B, +1 in combination with nonmetals, and -1 in combination with metals.
More Information
*  Citation
 Calzaferri, Gion. J. Chem. Educ. 1999 76 362.
*  Keywords
 Redox Reactions; Stoichiometry; Molecular Properties / Structure; oxidation numbers
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 June 15, 1999
June 22, 2005
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