How can nitrogen achieve a #+V# oxidation state?

1 Answer
anor277
Jun 11, 2016

You mean how can nitrogen achieve a #+V# oxidation state.

Explanation:

Consider the nitrate ion, #NO_3^-#. Here, nitrogen has a formal #+V# oxidation state (i.e. #3xx-2+N_("ON")=-1)#. Nitrogen also bears this oxidation state in the NEUTRAL GAS #N_2O_5#. Our ideas of oxidation state are formalisms. They may be useful in some circumstances for pedagogy or calculation, but they have no real physical basis.

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