Alright, let's determine the oxidation states of each element in the compound [tex]\( \text{CaSO}_4 \)[/tex].
1. Oxidation state of Calcium (Ca):
Calcium is in Group 2 of the periodic table, and elements in this group typically have an oxidation state of +2.
The oxidation state of calcium is [tex]\( \boxed{+2} \)[/tex].
2. Oxidation state of Oxygen (O):
Oxygen typically has an oxidation state of -2 in most of its compounds.
The oxidation state of oxygen is [tex]\( \boxed{-2} \)[/tex].
3. Oxidation state of Sulfur (S):
The compound [tex]\( \text{CaSO}_4 \)[/tex] must be overall neutral. Therefore, the sum of the oxidation states of all the atoms in the compound must equal 0.
Given that:
- The oxidation state of calcium (Ca) is +2.
- The oxidation state of oxygen (O) is -2 and there are 4 oxygen atoms in the formula unit (4 atoms × -2 = -8).
Let [tex]\( x \)[/tex] be the oxidation state of sulfur (S). The charge balance equation is:
[tex]\[
+2 (Ca) + x (S) + 4(-2) (O) = 0
\][/tex]
Simplifying this equation:
[tex]\[
+2 + x - 8 = 0
\][/tex]
[tex]\[
x - 6 = 0
\][/tex]
[tex]\[
x = +6
\][/tex]
The oxidation state of sulfur is [tex]\( \boxed{+6} \)[/tex].
To summarize, the oxidation states in [tex]\( \text{CaSO}_4 \)[/tex] are:
- Calcium: [tex]\( \boxed{+2} \)[/tex]
- Sulfur: [tex]\( \boxed{+6} \)[/tex]
- Oxygen: [tex]\( \boxed{-2} \)[/tex]
