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Multiple Choice

The oxidation state of Cr in [Cr(NH3)4Cl2]- is

The oxidation state is found by balancing the charges of the ligands with the overall charge of the complex. Ammonia is a neutral ligand, while each chloride ligand carries a -1 charge. There are two chloride ligands, contributing -2 in total. The complex is shown with an overall charge of -1, so the chromium oxidation state must satisfy x + (-2) = -1, giving x = +1. So the chromium is in the +1 oxidation state. The result would match a complex with the overall charge +1, such as [Cr(NH3)4Cl2]+, where chromium would be +3; the discrepancy here suggests the bracketed complex is paired with the wrong outside charge.

The oxidation state is found by balancing the charges of the ligands with the overall charge of the complex. Ammonia is a neutral ligand, while each chloride ligand carries a -1 charge. There are two chloride ligands, contributing -2 in total. The complex is shown with an overall charge of -1, so the chromium oxidation state must satisfy x + (-2) = -1, giving x = +1. So the chromium is in the +1 oxidation state. The result would match a complex with the overall charge +1, such as [Cr(NH3)4Cl2]+, where chromium would be +3; the discrepancy here suggests the bracketed complex is paired with the wrong outside charge.