The charge on the sulfur in the compound copper sulfide, Cu₂S, is ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Copper is a transition metal that can form different charges, so we can determine the charge on sulfur by considering the overall charge of the compound. Copper has a charge of +2 and there is only one copper atom, so the total positive charge from copper is +2. The total negative charge from the two sulfur atoms is -2. Therefore, the compound has an overall charge of 0 to be neutral. We can use this information to determine the charge on sulfur:
+2 (charge from copper) + x (charge from sulfur) + (-2) (charge from second sulfur) = 0
x = -2 - 2
x = -4
Each sulfur has the same charge, so the charge on the sulfur in CuS is -2.

The Charge on the Sulfur in the Compound Copper Sulfide