Final answer:
The compounds can be ranked in order of increasing level of oxidation based on decreasing number of oxygen atoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The compounds can be ranked in order of increasing level of oxidation based on decreasing number of oxygen atoms. As the number of oxygen atoms in a compound decreases, the level of oxidation decreases. For example, consider the compounds CH4, CH3OH, and H2O. CH4 has no oxygen atoms, CH3OH has one oxygen atom, and H2O has two oxygen atoms. Therefore, the compounds can be ranked in the order of increasing level of oxidation as CH4 < CH3OH < H2O.