What is the oxidation state of chlorine in uncombined chlorine gas, Cl_2? — JAMB UTME

What is the oxidation state of chlorine in uncombined chlorine gas, $Cl_2$ ?

$0$ Answer
B
$-1$
C
$+1$
D
$-2$

Answer

The oxidation state of chlorine in uncombined chlorine gas (

Cl_2

) is

0

According to standard rules for assigning oxidation states, any element in its free or uncombined elemental state has an oxidation number of zero. Because

Cl_2

consists of identical chlorine atoms sharing bonding electrons equally, its oxidation state is

0

Step-by-Step Solution

Identify the chemical state of the given species.

Chlorine is present as free, uncombined diatomic chlorine gas (

Cl_2

Redox rules distinguish uncombined elemental states from elements bound in chemical compounds.

Apply the fundamental oxidation number rule for uncombined elements.

The oxidation number assigned to any atom in an uncombined element is

0

In a homonuclear diatomic molecule like

Cl_2

, electrons are shared equally between identical atoms, resulting in zero net charge allocation.

Key Concept

Oxidation state of uncombined elements

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