Oxidation Number

[Iona Pay]

How do you find the oxidation number of a metal?

[WilliamNguyen_4L]

You would need to first see what the overall charge of the molecule is. Then add up the negative charges in the complex compound by looking at the ligands and adding up each individual charge. The charge of the metal would be the positive charge that is needed to add to the negative charges of the ligands to match the charge of the molecule. Also note that if the complex compound bonded to something else, the charge of whatever else it is bonded to should be factored in.

[Heidi Ibarra Castillo 1D]

^yes, exactly you would need to see the overall charge of the coordination compound first then add the overall charges within the ligands in order to find the oxidation state of the metal. However, keep in consideration the cations or anions if there are any outside the coordination compound.

[Victoria Otuya 4F]

What does Oxidation mean?

[EthanPham_1G]

An atom's oxidation number is its charge. Since transition metals are normally cations, they would have a positive oxidation number.