assign oxidation numbers to all elements in n2o5

#color(blue)(2) xx ? + color(red)(5) xx (-2) = 0#

All you have to do now is solve for #?# to find

#color(blue)(2) xx ? = +10 implies ? = (+10)/2 = +5#

And there you have it, nitrogen has a #+5# oxidation number in dinitrogen pentoxide.

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What is the oxidation state of nitrogen in N2O5?

According to the formula it should be +5 but according to its structure shouldn't it be +4? How is it +5 then?

• oxidation-state

• 2 $\begingroup$ $5\cdot(-2) + 2\cdot(+5) = 0$ $\endgroup$ –  Klaus-Dieter Warzecha Feb 18, 2016 at 7:44
• $\begingroup$ But according to the structure it should be + 4 $\endgroup$ –  rishabh gupta Feb 18, 2016 at 8:32
• 1 $\begingroup$ No. Why do you think so? $\endgroup$ –  aventurin Jul 2, 2016 at 17:46
• 1 $\begingroup$ A coordinate bond gives a formal charge of +1 to N, implying that it effectively gets a raise in oxidation state by +2 $\endgroup$ –  SubZero Mar 25, 2017 at 17:59

It is +5 .Even by the structure.

Notice that it is a resonance structure of:

Now one of the bonds are coordinate bonds where nitrogen donates BOTH its electrons to oxygen (otherwise, oxygen cannot have a single bond without a negative charge and no peroxy type linkage).

So, while determining oxidation state from the structure :

O.N=+2+2+1=+5

References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinitrogen_pentoxide

• 1 $\begingroup$ Your second image is better since it shows formal charges. $\endgroup$ –  Jan Jul 2, 2016 at 18:10
• $\begingroup$ True, but that's not much of an improvement. Evidently, I picked it up for representation purpose. $\endgroup$ –  Varun Jul 4, 2016 at 2:37
• 4 $\begingroup$ Oh, I always advocate properly assigning formal charges to all atoms that need them, which is why I wouldn’t have upvoted your answer if only the first structure were shown ;) $\endgroup$ –  Jan Jul 5, 2016 at 0:11