Download free books at BookBooN.com
Inorganic and Applied Chemistry
Example 1- O:
Oxidation state (transition metal and main group element)
Transition metals are among other aspects characterized by the ability to appear in many oxidation states.
The transition metal osmium can be used as an example:
Os, Possibleoxidationstates of osmium: 0 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 8
It is thus seen that osmium can attain six different oxidation states. On the other hand main group elements
are generally not able to attain that many different oxidation states. Tin for example can only attain two
different oxidations states (besides from zero):
Sn, Possibleoxidationstates of tin: 0 , 2 , 4
The general trend is that transition metals can attain many different oxidation states which are
contradictory to main group elements that in general only can attain a few different oxidation states.
Atoms
Please click the advert