Question

Write the oxidation number of chlorine in HCLO

Answers

GPT-4o mini
In hypochlorous acid (HClO), the oxidation number of chlorine (Cl) is +1.

Here's how we determine this:
- The hydrogen (H) has an oxidation number of +1.
- The oxygen (O) has an oxidation number of -2.

The overall charge of the molecule is neutral (0). Therefore, we can set up the following equation for the oxidation numbers:

\[
(+1) + (x) + (-2) = 0
\]

Where \(x\) is the oxidation number of chlorine. Solving for \(x\):

\[
x = 0 - 1 + 2 = +1
\]

So, the oxidation number of chlorine in HClO is +1.

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