What does oxidation state mean?

1 Answer
May 6, 2018

It refers to the amount of electron density that an atom normally gains or loses in chemical bonding.

Explanation:

Oxidation is a reference to the normal behavior of Oxygen atoms.
Oxygen atoms having a high electronegativity generally "take" electron density from other atoms. This causes Oxygen to have a net negative charge of -2 as Oxygen has extra electron density.

The atoms like Hydrogen that Oxygen interacts with lose electron density. ( that is they are said to have been oxidized.) As Hydrogen loses some of its one electron's density to Oxygen it is said to have a +1 charge.

Atoms with a higher electron density gain electrons and are reduced. The charge on a reduced atom becomes more negative. and have a negative oxidation number.
Atoms with a lower electron density lose electrons and are oxidized. Thus have a positive oxidation number.

The Oxidation number refers to the number or amount of electron density that an atom typically gains or loses.