* Oxygen (O): Oxygen typically has an oxidation number of -2, and this is true here.
* Chlorine (Cl): To find the oxidation number of chlorine, we use the following:
* The overall charge of the perchlorate ion is -1.
* There are four oxygen atoms, each with a -2 charge, totaling -8.
* Therefore, the oxidation number of chlorine must be +7 to balance out the charge: (+7) + (-8) = -1
In summary:
* Chlorine (Cl): +7
* Oxygen (O): -2