Oxidation state of Nitrogen in NaN3

NaN3 is the chemical formula for Sodium azide, which is commonly used in the automotive industry as an airbag inflator. To determine the oxidation state of nitrogen in this compound, we need to first understand the concept of oxidation state.

What is Oxidation State?
Oxidation state is the charge that an atom would have if all of its bonds were 100% ionic. It is also known as oxidation number or oxidation state. Oxidation state is represented by a positive or negative number, indicating the number of electrons an atom has gained or lost.

Nitrogen in NaN3
In Sodium azide, NaN3, there are three nitrogen atoms present in the molecule. The oxidation state of each nitrogen atom can be calculated using the following steps:

1. Sodium (Na) has an oxidation state of +1, as it is a group 1 element.
2. The overall charge of the molecule is zero.
3. Therefore, the total oxidation state of nitrogen must be -3, as there are three nitrogen atoms present.

Calculating Oxidation State of Nitrogen
To calculate the oxidation state of nitrogen, we can use the following equation:

Oxidation state of Nitrogen = (Charge of Nitrogen atom) - (Number of electrons in covalent bonds) - (Number of electrons in lone pairs)

In NaN3, each nitrogen atom is covalently bonded to one other nitrogen atom and has one lone pair of electrons. Therefore, the oxidation state of each nitrogen atom can be calculated as follows:

Oxidation state of Nitrogen = (0 Charge of Nitrogen atom) - (2 Number of electrons in covalent bonds) - (1 Number of electrons in lone pairs)

Oxidation state of Nitrogen = -3

Conclusion
In conclusion, the oxidation state of nitrogen in NaN3 is -3. Each nitrogen atom in the molecule has an oxidation state of -3, as there are three nitrogen atoms present in the molecule and the overall charge of the molecule is zero.

We know that the total charge of the compound is neutral and that sodium has +1 oxidation state we say that nitrogen has an oxidation number of -1/3 in NaN3. +1 + 3(-1/3) = 0 gives the overall state of the compound.