Oksidointinumeroiden

Oksidointinumeroiden (oxidation numbers) are a way to keep track of the electrons in a chemical compound. They indicate the degree of oxidation of an atom in a molecule, which is the formal charge of the atom if the molecule were ionic. The oxidation number is assigned based on a set of rules that take into account the electronegativity of the atoms involved and the type of bond between them.

The oxidation number of an element in its uncombined state is zero. For example, the oxidation number of oxygen in O2 is zero. The oxidation number of a monatomic ion is equal to the charge of the ion. For example, the oxidation number of sodium in Na+ is +1.

In a compound, the sum of the oxidation numbers of all the atoms must equal the charge on the compound. For example, in the compound NaCl, the oxidation number of sodium is +1 and the oxidation number of chlorine is -1, so the sum of the oxidation numbers is zero, which is the charge on the compound.

Oxidation numbers are useful in balancing redox reactions and in predicting the products of chemical reactions. They are also used in the naming of compounds and in the determination of the Lewis structure of a molecule.