Question

What determines the most likely oxidation state of an element?

A. The oxidation state the element has when not in a compound
B. The average of all the oxidation states the element could possibly have
C. The number of electrons the element needs to lose or gain to have a full valence shell
D. The number of protons an element has

Answer 1

C. The number of electrons the element needs to lose or gain to have a full valence shell

Answer 2

Answer: The correct answer is Option C.

Step-by-step explanation:

Oxidation state is defined as the number which is given to an atom when it looses or gains electron. It is written as a superscript.

When an atom looses electron, it will attain a positive oxidation state and when an atom gains electron, it will attain a negative oxidation state.

An atom looses or gains electron to attain stability and to fill their valence shell.

For Example:

• Oxygen atom will gain 2 electrons and will form
  `O^(2-)` ion having oxidation state of -2.
• Sodium atom will loose 1 electron and form
  `Na^+` ion having oxidation state of +1.

Thus, the correct answer is Option C.