What is the Oxidation State of an Individual Sulfur Atom in MgSO4?

This article explores the properties of sulfur in MgSO4, the oxidation number of sulfur in this molecule, and more.

Introduction:

Sulfur is one of the very few exotic elements to exist in nature and so does its salts. Sulphur is also one of the oldest known elements to humans and its name is even iterated in the Bible. The history indicates that sulfur was initially extracted by humans from the earth around Mount Etna in Sicily and used for wine preservation and fabric bleaching. It was burned to create sulfur dioxide, which was then absorbed by damp clothing or grape juice. Its salts were long thought to be constituents of all metals, serving as the foundation for alchemy's process of changing one metal into another.

Today, you can find its abundance in nature, in modern industries, and even in our homes in many different products. It finds its use in the production of modern fertilizer, automobile batteries of electric and gasoline cars for water treatment, etc. Sulfur-based compounds are also used in the vulcanization of rubber, the bleaching of paper, and the production of cement, detergents, and insecticides. In addition to some gunpowder.

Oxidation Numbers:

Speaking of oxidation numbers, it is a fundamental concept in organic chemistry. It indicates the charge an atom would have if the compound were made up of ions in its molecular structure. To put a definition, oxidation number or oxidation state is the total number of electrons an atom either receives or loses in the process of joining forces with another atom. It represents an atom's capacity to receive, give, or share during an “oxidation-reduction reaction”.

This number can be the same or different for a single atom of an element. For example, fluorine has an oxidation number of -1 in all of its compounds no matter which participants are involved in the formation of this compound. While other elements like nitrogen can have any oxidation number between -3 and +5.

Moreover, if one is considering a polyatomic ion then, the sum of the oxidation numbers in this polyatomic structure is considered to be the charge on the entire ion. In layman’s words, the oxidation number is the distribution of electrons shared between different atoms in a compound. For example, the oxidation number for a neutral atom is zero.

Oxidation Number of Sulfur

Sulfur, a non-mental has six valence electrons meaning it has all these available for bonding business. Sulfur can lose these electrons in different numbers depending on how it is bonded with other elements in a molecule. Like any other element, the sulfur oxidation state depends on where it has made its bonding leading to a molecule. Sulfur makes molecules with a great number of elements and you will see it in different oxidation states like H₂S, S₈, SO₂, SO_3, etc.

Oxidation State of Sulfur in MgSO₄

MgSO₄ is an example of a pure iconic compound formed from an alkaline earth metal, here, the sulfur atom has an oxidation number of +6 while Magnesium has an oxidation state of +2, and oxygen has -2. And all of them don’t have any oxidation number and there is no positive or negative MgSO₄ charge as a molecule since the entire distribution of electrons is balanced out within the molecular structure. The oxidation number of sulfur can differ in other molecules, for example, in Sodium Thiosulfate or Na₂S₂O₃, the oxidation number of sulfur is +2.

In MgSO_4, sulfur oxidation capacity plays an important role as it is present in the SO₄²⁻ ion of this ionic compound. Here, it is surrounded by four oxygen atoms and if you can recall, sulfur has six electrons in its valence shell. Four of them are taken by oxygen atoms for bonding and the remaining 2 give the ion a collective charge of -2 which is its oxidation number.

Wrapping Up:

The oxidation state or oxidation number of sulfur in MgSO₄ is +6 which indicates that it used all of its valence electrons in the bonding process and the overall state or charge of the molecule is 0. Sulfur can have different oxidation states depending on how and where it shares its electrons with other elements.