Question

The oxidation states of phosphorus vary from

• A. $-3$ to $+5$
• B. $-1$ to $+1$
• C. $-3$ to $+3$
• D. $-5$ to $+1$

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

Maximum oxidation state of an element is equal to number of valence electrons of its atom ( $+ 5$ in case of $P$ ) and minimum oxidation number is equal to the number of electrons required to attain the noble gas configuration ($-3$ in case of $P$ ).