Final answer:
Nitrogen has its lowest oxidation state in NH₄Cl (ammonium chloride), where the oxidation state is -3.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine in which of the following nitrogen has the lowest oxidation state, we need to find the compound where nitrogen is most reduced, meaning it has gained the most electrons relative to its standard state. The oxidation states for each compound mentioned in the question are as follows:
- A) HNO₃: Nitrogen usually has an oxidation state of +5
- B) NO₂: Nitrogen has an oxidation state of +4
- C) N₂O: Nitrogen has varying oxidation states, but it averages to +1 when considering both nitrogen atoms
- D) NH₄Cl: Each nitrogen has an oxidation state of -3 since it's part of the NH₄+ ion
- E) NaNO₂: Nitrogen has an oxidation state of +3
Therefore, nitrogen has its lowest oxidation state in NH₄Cl (ammonium chloride) where it has an oxidation state of -3.