* Understanding Oxidation State: Oxidation state is a number assigned to an atom in a molecule or ion that represents the number of electrons that atom has gained or lost compared to its neutral state.
* Rules for Determining Oxidation State:
* The oxidation state of an element in its elemental form is always 0.
* The sum of the oxidation states of all atoms in a neutral molecule is 0.
* The sum of the oxidation states of all atoms in a polyatomic ion equals the charge of the ion.
* Applying the Rules:
* We have a diatomic bromine ion with a -1 charge (Br₂⁻).
* Since there are two bromine atoms, and the total charge is -1, each bromine atom must have an oxidation state of -1/2.
Therefore, the oxidation state of bromine in Br₂⁻ is -1/2.
