Question

Specify the oxidation state of Chlorine in ${\mathrm{CaOCl}}_2$.

Answer 1

Oxidation state:

• An atom's oxidation state is defined as the hypothetical charge an atom would have if all of its links to other atoms were totally ionic in nature.
• The oxidation state of an atom in a chemical compound gives information on the number of electrons lost and so indicates the extent of atom's oxidation.
• The oxidation state of ${\mathrm{CaOCl}}_2$:
  The given compound is Calcium hypochlorite (${\mathrm{CaOCl}}_2$). The structure of the compound is shown below:

• $\mathrm{Ca}\left(\mathrm{OCl}\right)\mathrm{Cl}$ may have charges on it, which is represented as$\left[{\mathrm{Ca}}^{+2}{\left(\mathrm{OCl}\right)}^{-1}{\mathrm{Cl}}^{-1}\right]$.
• We know that Calcium's oxidation state is $+2$.
• Chlorine coupled to Calcium has an oxidation state of$-1$.
• The Oxygen oxidation state is $-2$, while the total molecular oxidation state in $\left(\mathrm{OCl}\right)$ is $-1$. The Chlorine oxidation state will be $+1$ as a result.

As a result, the oxidation state of Chlorine atoms in ${\mathrm{CaOCl}}_2$ is $-1$ and $+1$.