Oxidation state | Valency | |
(1) | In a atom or ion of a substance, the number of effective charge present on an element is called oxidation state of an element. | The valency of an element is a measure of its combining power with other atoms. |
(2) | The value of oxidation state may be positive, negative of zero. | Valency is always +ve, Inert gases have zero valency due to complete octet. |
(3) | In covalent compounds, oxidation state of an element is variable. | In covalent compounds, the valency of an element is generally constant. |