Oxidation number of sulphur in perdisulphuric acid is

Options

A. ` +8`
B. `-6`
C. `+6`
D. `+4`

Explanation

To determine the oxidation number of sulfur in perdisulphuric acid (H₂S₂O₇), we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Write the chemical formula
The formula for perdisulphuric acid is H₂S₂O₇.

### Step 2: Assign oxidation numbers to known elements
- Hydrogen (H) has an oxidation number of +1.
- Oxygen (O) has an oxidation number of -2.

### Step 3: Set up the equation for the total oxidation number
Let the oxidation number of sulfur (S) be represented as \( x \). Since there are 2 sulfur atoms in the formula, their total contribution will be \( 2x \).

### Step 4: Write the equation based on the overall charge
The overall charge of the molecule is neutral (0). Therefore, we can set up the following equation:

\[ \text{Total oxidation number} = 2(\text{oxidation number of H}) + 2(\text{oxidation number of S}) + 7(\text{oxidation number of O}) = 0 \]

Substituting the known values:

\[ 2(+1) + 2x + 7(-2) = 0 \]

### Step 5: Simplify the equation
This simplifies to:

\[ 2 + 2x - 14 = 0 \]

### Step 6: Solve for \( x \)
Now, rearranging the equation gives:

\[ 2x - 12 = 0 \]
\[ 2x = 12 \]
\[ x = 6 \]

### Conclusion
The oxidation number of sulfur in perdisulphuric acid (H₂S₂O₇) is +6.