The oxidation number of sulphur in sulphuric acid `H_2SO_4` is

Options

A. 6
B. 4
C. 5
D. 7

Explanation

To find the oxidation number of sulfur in sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the components of H₂SO₄**:
- The formula consists of 2 hydrogen (H) atoms, 1 sulfur (S) atom, and 4 oxygen (O) atoms.

2. **Assign known oxidation states**:
- The oxidation state of hydrogen (H) is typically +1.
- The oxidation state of oxygen (O) is typically -2.

3. **Let the oxidation state of sulfur (S) be X**:
- We will denote the oxidation state of sulfur as X.

4. **Set up the equation based on the total oxidation state**:
- The total oxidation state of the compound must equal 0 because H₂SO₄ is a neutral molecule.
- The equation can be set up as follows:
\[ (2 \times +1) + (X) + (4 \times -2) = 0 \]

5. **Simplify the equation**:
- Calculate the contributions from hydrogen and oxygen:
\[ 2 + X - 8 = 0 \]
- This simplifies to:
\[ X - 6 = 0 \]

6. **Solve for X**:
- Rearranging gives us:
\[ X = +6 \]

7. **Conclusion**:
- The oxidation number of sulfur in sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) is +6.

### Final Answer:
The oxidation number of sulfur in sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) is **+6**.