No, oxygen is not positively charged. Oxygen tends to have a slight negative charge.
Explanation of Oxygen's Charge
An oxygen atom has 6 electrons in its outermost shell (valence shell). Atoms are most stable when their outermost shell is full, typically with 8 electrons (octet rule). Therefore, oxygen has a strong tendency to gain or share two electrons to achieve a stable configuration. This electron affinity results in oxygen having a partial or full negative charge when it forms chemical bonds.
Oxidation State and Electronegativity
- Oxidation State: Oxygen commonly exhibits an oxidation state of -2 in chemical compounds, reflecting its gain of two electrons.
- Electronegativity: Oxygen is a highly electronegative element, meaning it strongly attracts electrons in a chemical bond. Its high electronegativity (one of the highest on the periodic table) is the reason it tends to pull electrons towards itself, resulting in a negative charge.
Exceptions and Considerations
While oxygen typically has a negative charge, there are some exceptions:
- Molecular Oxygen (O2): In its elemental form (O2), oxygen is neutral because the two oxygen atoms share electrons equally.
- Oxygen Difluoride (OF2): Fluorine is even more electronegative than oxygen. Therefore, in OF2, oxygen has a positive oxidation state (+2) because it is bonded to two fluorine atoms, which pull electrons away from it.
- Oxygen Cations: Oxygen can exist as a positively charged ion (cation) under specific and extreme conditions in laboratory settings, but this is not commonly encountered.
Summary
In most common chemical compounds and situations, oxygen is negatively charged due to its electron configuration and high electronegativity.
