Wednesday, December 30, 2009

What are the oxidation numbers of PbO2?

I can't decide. Is the O2 a peroxide?What are the oxidation numbers of PbO2?
In determining oxidation numbers, Oxygen is always a -2. Here there are two of them, so the total is -4. Since this is a neutral compound, the total oxidation numbers must add up to zero, so the oxidation number of Pb must be +4, to balance out the -4 provided by oxygen. Remember that each oxygen by itself is -2, only the total of both is -4.What are the oxidation numbers of PbO2?
Pb has an oxidation number of +4 and oxygen -2.

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