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Why does sulfur have a 1 charge in sulfur dioxide?

charge DIOXIDE sulfur
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Why does sulfur have a 1 charge in sulfur dioxide?

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In response to the above, I would first as a question. First by “charge” I assume you are referring to the oxidation number? If so, then you have to look at the charges on each of the atoms present in the molecule! First, oxygen has a -2 charge for each atom. Since Sulfur dioxide has TWO oxygens each oxygen has a -2 charge meaning that there is a total -4 charge for the two oxygens. Since sulfur dioxide doesn’t have a charge on the molecule, all the charges for all the atoms must add up to 0. The oxygens already have a -4 charge which means that the sulfur has a +4 charge! Of course all of this is in reference to oxidation numbers. I’m thinking the first person to post might have been confusing the charge on the molecule with the oxidation numbers of each of the atoms?

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