Do metals have variable oxidation state?
1 answer
Yes, metals can have variable oxidation states. The oxidation state of a metal refers to the number of electrons that the metal has lost or gained in order to form a chemical bond. Some metals, such as iron, copper, and chromium, can have multiple oxidation states depending on the specific chemical reaction they are involved in. For example, iron can have an oxidation state of +2 in the compound FeCl2, but an oxidation state of +3 in the compound FeCl3.