What is oxidation state of nitrogen in HN3?
What is oxidation state of nitrogen in HN3? Explain in details.
Introduction:
HN3 is the chemical formula for Hydrazoic acid, which is also known as azoimide or hydrogen azide. It is a colorless, acidic, and highly explosive compound. The oxidation state of nitrogen in HN3 can be calculated using a few rules.
Oxidation state:
The oxidation state is defined as the charge that an atom would have if all the electrons were shared equally. The oxidation state of nitrogen in HN3 is calculated as follows:
- The oxidation state of hydrogen is always +1.
- The sum of oxidation states of all atoms in a compound is equal to the charge on the compound.
- In HN3, the hydrogen atoms have a total oxidation state of +3.
- The compound is neutral, so the nitrogen atom must have an oxidation state of -3 to balance out the charge.
Therefore, the oxidation state of nitrogen in HN3 is -3.
Explanation:
The oxidation state of nitrogen in HN3 is -3 because nitrogen is more electronegative than hydrogen. This means that nitrogen attracts the shared electrons in the bond more than hydrogen does, giving it a partial negative charge. As a result, the nitrogen atom must have an oxidation state of -3 to balance out the charge of the three hydrogen atoms, which each have an oxidation state of +1.
Conclusion:
The oxidation state of nitrogen in HN3 is -3, which is determined by the sum of oxidation states of all atoms in the compound being equal to the charge on the compound. This is because nitrogen is more electronegative than hydrogen, and therefore attracts the shared electrons in the bond, resulting in a partial negative charge on the nitrogen atom.
What is oxidation state of nitrogen in HN3?
-1/3