Question

How do you find the oxidation number of nitrogen in $\mathrm{NO}$?

Answer 1

Oxidation number:

1. It is the number of electrons that an atom in a molecule can share, lose, or gain during the formation of a chemical bond with another atom.
2. The sum of the oxidation numbers of the atoms in a neutral molecule is zero. For charged molecules, the total of the atom's oxidation numbers equals the molecule's charge.
3. $\mathrm{NO}$ or Nitrogen monoxide is a neutral atom so the overall charge will be zero.
4. Let us take the charge on Nitrogen to be "x" and we know the charge on oxygen is$-2$. Therefore the equation for the charge is $x+\left(-2\right)=0$
5. Calculating the value of x we get, $x=+2$

Therefore, the oxidation number of Nitrogen$=+2$.