Oxidation State of Carbon in Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless and odorless gas that is produced by the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels. It is a highly toxic gas and can be lethal when inhaled in high concentrations. The oxidation state of carbon in carbon monoxide is -2.

Explanation
To understand the oxidation state of carbon in carbon monoxide, we need to first understand what oxidation state means. The oxidation state of an atom in a molecule is a measure of the degree of oxidation of that atom. It is the hypothetical charge that an atom would have if all its bonds to other atoms were 100% ionic.

In carbon monoxide, the carbon atom is bonded to the oxygen atom by a covalent bond. The oxygen atom is more electronegative than the carbon atom, which means that it attracts the shared electrons in the bond more strongly than the carbon atom. As a result, the electrons in the bond are not shared equally between the two atoms.

The electronegativity difference between carbon and oxygen is 0.5, which falls in the covalent bonding range. However, electrons are shared unequally between the two atoms because carbon has a lower electronegativity value than oxygen. Therefore, the bond is polar.

As a result, the oxygen atom has a partial negative charge, and the carbon atom has a partial positive charge. The oxidation state of carbon in carbon monoxide can be calculated by assuming that all the electrons in the bond are transferred to the oxygen atom.

When we do this, the carbon atom would have lost two electrons to the oxygen atom. Since electrons have a negative charge, the loss of two electrons would result in a positive charge on the carbon atom. Therefore, the oxidation state of carbon in carbon monoxide is -2.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the oxidation state of carbon in carbon monoxide is -2. This is because the carbon atom has lost two electrons to the oxygen atom, resulting in a positive charge on the carbon atom.