Question

Given the oxidation number of Si,Al,and O as +4,+3 and -2 respectively ,deduce the charge x on Alsi 3 o8x

Answer 1

To determine the charge \( x \) on the compound \( \text{AlSi}_3\text{O}_8^x \), we first need to calculate the overall charge contributed by each element in the formula.

1. **Oxidation States**:
- Silicon (Si) has an oxidation number of +4.
- Aluminum (Al) has an oxidation number of +3.
- Oxygen (O) has an oxidation number of -2.

2. **Number of Atoms**:
In the formula \( \text{AlSi}_3\text{O}_8 \):
- There is 1 Aluminum (Al) atom.
- There are 3 Silicon (Si) atoms.
- There are 8 Oxygen (O) atoms.

3. **Calculate Total Contribution to Charge**:
- Contribution from Aluminum:
\[
1 \times (+3) = +3
\]
- Contribution from Silicon:
\[
3 \times (+4) = +12
\]
- Contribution from Oxygen:
\[
8 \times (-2) = -16
\]

4. **Total Charge Calculation**:
Now, let's sum these contributions:
\[
\text{Total Charge} = (+3) + (+12) + (-16) = 3 + 12 - 16 = -1
\]

5. **Determine the Charge \( x \)**:
Given that the total charge from the \( \text{AlSi}_3\text{O}_8^x \) must equal the charge indicated by \( x \), we can set up the equation:
\[
-1 + x = 0
\]
This implies that:
\[
x = +1
\]

Thus, the charge \( x \) on \( \text{AlSi}_3\text{O}_8^x \) is **+1**.