Chapter 18, Problem 12STP

To determine

Todescribe: the trend in the oxidation numbers of these periods 2 elements.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

The total number of electrons that an atom either receives or loses in order to form a chemical bond with another atom is called oxidation number and it is also known as oxidation state.The oxidation state of noble gas is always 0.

There are 8 elements present in period 2 of the well-known periodic table. They are lithium, beryllium, boron,carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, and neon.

The four elements belong to period 2 and these are nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, and neon.

Within the periodic table, the atomic radius reduces from left to right, the thickness of the molecule reduces, and the interaction between the nucleus and the electron increases.The tendency to gain an electron also gets increased and electronegativity of elements also gets increased. Thus, fluorine is the most electronegativity element.

The figure shows the oxidation number decreases from 3- to 0. The zero oxidation state is shown by noble gas only.

Therefore, the oxidation number gets decreases from 3- to 0 in period 2.

Conclusion:

Hence, the oxidation number gets decreases from 3- to zero.