[Alpha]

Hello guys! I have problem with writing out oxidation numbers for following reaction:

C2H4 +Cl2  C2H3Cl + HCl

this is how far i got:
-2+1      0         +1-1   +1-1
C2H4 +Cl2  C2H3Cl + HCl

what i don't know is how i should do with the carbon atoms in the vinyl chloride molecule. I guess that the carbon that gets oxidized is the one bonding with the chloride atom? But what are their oxidation numbers? An additional thing i wonder is the oxidation number for the other carbon atom? Could anyone explain how i should think? Thanks!

[AWK]

For balancing redox reactions we use mean values for each type of atoms.
In organic chemistry, sometimes, we calculate ON for each carbon atom. We just break all C-C bonds (single, double, triple) and calculate oxidation number for each carbon and other atoms in direct proximity, ie  for CH₂=CHCl as if CH₂ and CHCl were isolated (ON for C -2 and 0 -- mean value -1).

Your reaction is wrong. Chlorine undergoes addition to double bond forming CH₂Cl-CH₂Cl. Of course, you can obtain vinyl chloride from ethylene chloride by elimination of HCl, but this is quite different type of reaction, and you should write down two independent reactions.

[jasongnome]

Hello guys! I have problem with writing out oxidation numbers for following reaction:

C2H4 +Cl2  C2H3Cl + HCl

this is how far i got:
-2+1      0         +1-1   +1-1
C2H4 +Cl2  C2H3Cl + HCl

what i don't know is how i should do with the carbon atoms in the vinyl chloride molecule. I guess that the carbon that gets oxidized is the one bonding with the chloride atom? But what are their oxidation numbers? An additional thing i wonder is the oxidation number for the other carbon atom? Could anyone explain how i should think? Thanks!

As AWK says, the reaction is wrong, however, if that is the reaction you've been given as a theoretical example, then you're almost there. Simple arithmetic gives you the value for carbon, at high school level, the mean value is fine.

[Vidya]

Hello guys! I have problem with writing out oxidation numbers for following reaction:

C2H4 +Cl2  C2H3Cl + HCl

this is how far i got:
-2+1      0         +1-1   +1-1
C2H4 +Cl2  C2H3Cl + HCl

what i don't know is how i should do with the carbon atoms in the vinyl chloride molecule. I guess that the carbon that gets oxidized is the one bonding with the chloride atom? But what are their oxidation numbers? An additional thing i wonder is the oxidation number for the other carbon atom? Could anyone explain how i should think? Thanks!

Reaction is wrong as mentioned by AWK and jasongnome
However we can still do calculations of the oxidation numbers
If C is bonded to C then the Electronegative difference is zero so it puts zero on carbon  ,if it is bonded to H then C is more electronegative and H becomes +1 which puts -1 on C .If it is bonded to any halogen like here Cl ,then Cl is -1 and C gets +1 ...