ANSWERS: 1
  • No, -3 is the oxidation state of the entire ion. Let me give you a little help here. In order to answer this question (of any similar question) it is helpful to remember one simple fact. When forming compounds with other elements, oxygen almost always has an oxidation state of 2-. The only exception that I know of to this pattern is when two or more oxygen atoms are bonded directly to each other. So, with all of the oxygen atoms in the phosphite ion (that's what you have here), what charge would the phosphorus atom have to have in order for their total charge to add up to 3-?

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