Question

What is the oxidation number of carbon in ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$?

Answer 1

Oxidation number:

• It represents the number of electrons lost or gained by the atoms of an element in a compound.
• It is usually written with the sign $(+)$ and $(-)$ first and then the magnitude.

Determine the oxidation number of carbon in ${\mathbf{CO}}_{\mathbf{2}}$:

• The oxidation state of oxygen is $(-2)$.
• The oxidation state of carbon will be:

$$\begin{gathered} \mathrm{x}+2(-2)=0 \\ \mathrm{x}-4=0 \\ \mathrm{x}=+4 \end{gathered}$$

Hence, the oxidation number of carbon in ${\mathbf{CO}}_{\mathbf{2}}$ is $\mathbf{+}\mathbf{4}$.