Aqueous solutions of ammonia (NH₃) and bleach (active ingredient NaOCl) are sold as cleaning fluids, but bottles of both of them warn: 'Never mix ammonia and bleach, as toxic gases may be produced.' One of the toxic gases that can be produced is chloroamine, NH₂Cl. (a) What is the oxidation number of chlorine in bleach? (active ingredient NaOCl) are sold as cleaning fluids, but bottles of both of them warn: “Never mix ammonia and bleach, as toxic gases may be produced.” One of the toxic gases that can be produced is chloroamine, NH₂Cl. (b) What is the oxidation number of chlorine in chloramine? (d) Another toxic gas that can be produced is nitrogen trichloride, NCl₃. What is the oxidation number of N in nitrogen trichloride?

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Identify the chemical formula of chloramine, which is NH_2Cl.

Recall that the sum of oxidation numbers in a neutral compound is zero.

Assign oxidation numbers to hydrogen and nitrogen: hydrogen (H) is +1 and nitrogen (N) is typically -3 in compounds.

Set up an equation using the known oxidation numbers: 2(+1) + (-3) + x = 0, where x is the oxidation number of chlorine (Cl).

Solve the equation for x to find the oxidation number of chlorine in chloramine.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Oxidation Number

The oxidation number, or oxidation state, is a concept used to indicate the degree of oxidation of an atom in a compound. It represents the hypothetical charge an atom would have if all bonds were ionic. Oxidation numbers are assigned based on a set of rules, including the fact that the oxidation number of an element in its elemental form is zero, and for monoatomic ions, it equals the charge of the ion.

Chloroamine Structure

Chloroamine, specifically NH2Cl, is a compound that contains nitrogen, hydrogen, and chlorine. In this molecule, the nitrogen atom is bonded to two hydrogen atoms and one chlorine atom. Understanding the structure of chloroamine is essential for determining the oxidation state of chlorine, as it helps visualize how the atoms are arranged and how they interact with each other.

Determining Oxidation States

To determine the oxidation state of chlorine in chloroamine, one must consider the known oxidation states of the other atoms in the molecule. Nitrogen typically has an oxidation state of -3 when bonded to hydrogen, and hydrogen has an oxidation state of +1. By applying the rule that the sum of oxidation states in a neutral compound must equal zero, one can calculate the oxidation state of chlorine in NH2Cl.