Like what is the charge of S
And the charge of O
I dont understand how S03 balences
2006-11-16 10:57:22 · 4 answers · asked by airjames023 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
The oxidation number of sulfur in SO3 is +6. The oxidation number of oxygen is -2. So 6 + 3(-2) = 0. The oxidation number of oxygen is always -2, except in peroxides like H2O2, when it is -1. The oxidation number of hydrogen is always +1, except in hydrides like NaH, when it is -1. After that, everything adds up.
Don't worry too much about oxidation numbers. They have no physical meaning. They are a system of bookkeeping to balance oxidation-reduction equations.
2006-11-16 11:05:27 · answer #1 · answered by steve_geo1 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oxygen is almost always -2. Sulfur also from column 6 canact as a metal and give e-. it would havae a+6 charge to balance the 3(-2) of oxygen.
2006-11-16 19:06:51 · answer #2 · answered by science teacher 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best I can come up with is to put S in the middle with an O on one side and two on the other. The O-O bond is double. Formal charges are only a -1 and a 1.
O-S-O=O
You can get it to balance with the left over electrons.
2006-11-16 19:17:54 · answer #3 · answered by Hopeful Poster 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
SO3 balances because there are double bonds between the sulfur and each of the oxygens. And it has an overall negative -1 charge.
2006-11-16 19:07:36 · answer #4 · answered by MamaB 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋