To determine the missing oxidation state of carbon in the reaction you're referring to, let's first break down the reaction based on the oxidation states provided:
- Reactants:
- Carbon (C) has an oxidation state of +4.
- Oxygen (O) has an oxidation state of -2 (2 O atoms contribute -4 total).
- Hydrogen (H) has an oxidation state of +1 (2 H atoms contribute +2 total).
Putting it together, we can express the total oxidation states for the reactants:
- For carbon: +4
- For oxygen: 2 × -2 = -4
- For hydrogen: 2 × +1 = +2
The total charge from the reactants is:
- +4 (C) - 4 (O) + 2 (H) = +2
Now looking at the products:
- Carbon in the product is currently unknown (represented by ?).
- There are still 2 hydrogen atoms contributing +2 total.
- Oxygen is -2 for each, with one of the O (O₂) at oxidation state 0, and the other with oxidation state -2.
The total charge for the products can be set up like this:
- Let the oxidation state of carbon be \( X \):
- Oxygen contributes: 1 × 0 (for O₂) + 1 × -2 = -2
- For hydrogen: 2 × +1 = +2
So the total charge for the products is:
- \( X + 2 (H) - 2 (O) = X \)
Setting up the equation for balance:
- For reactants: +2
- For products: \( X + 2 - 2 = X \)
Since we need the reactants total to equal the products total:
- \( +2 = X \)
Thus, the missing oxidation state for carbon is +2.
So, the final balanced equation, with the missing oxidation state filled in, would be:
C(+2)H(+1)₂O(-2) + O(0)₂.