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Why do people use Roman numerals in naming oxidation numbers for compounds?

April 26, 2017Chemistry compounds Mathematics naming Numbers numerals oxidation people Roman

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Why do people use Roman numerals in naming oxidation numbers for compounds?

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The Roman numeral is part of the Stock system of chemical nomenclature. The Roman numeral is numerically the same as the oxidation number of an atom of the metal. In cobalt (II) chloride, cobalt has an oxidation number of +2 and the formula is CoCl2 If mercury (III) bromide existed, it would have an oxidation number of +3 and the formula would be HgBr3. By the way, mercury routinely has an oxidation number of +2 and can have +1 as Hg2^2+, and I’ve even heard of mercury having a +4, but never +3.