Find the oxidation number of carbon in the following compounds: `CH_(3)OH, CH_(2)O, HCOOH, C_(2)H_(2)`.

Answer

A, B, C

Explanation

In all these compounds, `H` has oxidation number `+1` and `O` has oxidation number `-2`. The values of the oxidation number of carbon in each of the above compounds. Can be determined using the following general method:
If the number of hydrogen atoms in the compounds is `n_(H)`, the number of oxygen atom is `n_(0)` and the number of carbon atoms in `n_(C )`, then we have:
`n_(H)(1)+n_(O)(-2)-n_(C ) ("oxidation number of carbon")=0`
or oxidation number of carbon in the compound
`={n_(O)(2)-n_(H)(1)}//n_(c)`.
The results for different compounds are given in the table below:
.