Final answer:
The oxidation number of each sulfur atom in S₂ is +4.
Step-by-step explanation:
The oxidation number of each sulfur atom in S₂ is +4.
According to the rules of assigning oxidation numbers, each oxygen atom in a compound usually has an oxidation number of -2. So, in S₂, the total oxidation number of the oxygen atoms is -4. Since the sum of the oxidation numbers in a neutral compound is zero, the sulfur atom is assigned an oxidation number of +4 to balance out the -4 from the oxygen atoms.
Therefore, the correct answer is for the oxidation number of each S atom in S₂.