The sum of all the oxidation numbers in cysteine, ,is

Question

The sum of all the oxidation numbers in cysteine,  ,is

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In cysteine, the oxidation number of sulfur (in the -SH group) is -2, and the oxidation number of carbon and hydrogen is +2 and -1, respectively. Therefore, the sum of all the oxidation numbers in cysteine is (2x2) + (-1) + (-2) = 1. Since the oxidation number of the entire molecule must be zero, the sum of all the oxidation numbers must also be zero. However, in this case, the sum is 1, which means the molecule has a net oxidation state of +1. To balance this, the molecule must have one excess electron, making it negatively charged - but this was not specified in the given information. Therefore, the sum of all the oxidation numbers in cysteine is 0.

The Sum of All the Oxidation Numbers in Cysteine