What sorts of information can you draw from the following reaction?
(CN)₂( g)+2OH⁻(aq)\(\rightarrow\)CN⁻(2aq)+CNO⁻(aq)+H₂O(l)

Question

The oxidation number of oxygen in peroxides is __.

Answer 1

ce{(CN)2 (g) + 2 OH^- (aq) -> 2 CN^- (aq) + CNO^- (aq) + H2O (l)

1. Nature and phase of reactants and products

1 mole of \(\ce{(CN)2}\) reacts with 2 moles of \(\ce{OH^-}\).
Products contain 2 moles of \(\ce{CN^-}\) and 1 mole of \(\ce{CNO^-}\) per mole of \(\ce{(CN)2}\) consumed, plus 1 mole of water.
This allows mole–mole conversions, limiting reagent calculations, and yield predictions in quantitative problems.

Carbon: LHS: 2 (in \(\ce{(CN)2}\)); RHS: 2 (in 2 CN^- + 1 (in \(\ce{CNO^- = 3 → implies the printed equation is often written with appropriate coefficients (the given form is typically schematic in textbooks).
Nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen: From the pattern, one sees that OH⁻ provides both O and H to form water and the oxyanion \(\ce{CNO^-}\).
Charge: Total negative charge on LHS (2−) equals total negative charge on RHS (3−) in the symbolic equation, so the reaction is often understood as a simplified representation of a base-promoted transformation.
From a teaching perspective, the main idea is hydroxide attack on cyanogen giving cyanide and an oxyanion rather than strict redox balancing.

The reaction occurs in basic aqueous medium (presence of OH^- (aq).
It is an example of nucleophilic attack of OH^- on a covalent molecule ce{(CN)2, producing anions CN^- and CNO^-.
Classified broadly as a hydrolysis / addition process in base, not a simple acid–base neutralisation.

(CN)2 is reactive towards strong bases and can generate cyanide in solution; this is relevant for toxicity and handling.
The appearance of {CNO^- indicates partial oxidation or rearrangement of the CN framework under basic conditions.
The reaction can be used to:
- Prepare cyanide / cyanate solutions from cyanogen.
- Illustrate nucleophilic additions to multiple bonds between identical atoms (C≡N–N≡C viewed collectively).