Final answer:
The term 'electrons gained' is not a way to view oxidation; it describes reduction. Oxidation involves the loss of electrons, gain of oxygen, or loss of hydrogen. 'Electrons lost,' 'hydrogen atoms lost,' and 'oxygen atoms gained' are all correct ways to view oxidation. The correct option is 1.
Step-by-step explanation:
The oxidation process can be viewed in several ways, commonly including the loss of electrons, gain of oxygen, and loss of hydrogen in a molecular compound.
The correct answer to which of the following is not one of the ways we can view oxidation is 'electrons gained,' as oxidation specifically refers to the loss of electrons, not the gain. Therefore, options 2), 3), and 4) are ways we typically describe oxidation, with 1) electrons gained being the description of reduction, the opposite process.
Reduction, on the other hand, can involve the gain of electrons, loss of oxygen, or gain of hydrogen. Keeping track of oxidation and reduction processes is further assisted by the use of oxidation numbers which represent the effective charge of an atom within a molecule based on the electrons it has lost or gained in forming a compound.