CHEMISTRY

JAMB 2008 - Question 22

Chemistry 2008 JAMB Past Questions - Question 22: The oxidation state of carbon in HCOOH is

Choose the correct answers from the options given.
The oxidation state of carbon in HCOOH is
A:
B:
C:
D:
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Correct Answer

B

Explanation

 The oxidation state of carbon in HCOOH is +4.

In organic chemistry, the oxidation state of an atom is a formal charge assigned to it based on the assumption that all bonds are ionic. The oxidation state of carbon in HCOOH can be determined using the following rules:

1. The oxidation state of hydrogen is usually +1.
2. The oxidation state of oxygen is usually -2.
3. The sum of the oxidation states of all atoms in a neutral molecule must be zero.

Based on these rules, we can assign the following oxidation states to the atoms in HCOOH:

| Atom | Oxidation state |
|---|---|
| H | +1 |
| C | x (to be determined) |
| O | -2 |
| O | -2 |

Setting up the equation to sum the oxidation states of all atoms to zero, we get:

1 + x + (-2) + (-2) = 0

Solving for x, we get:

x = +4

Therefore, the oxidation state of carbon in HCOOH is +4.

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