Question

What is the oxidation number of elemental sodium ( a neutral sodium atom)?

Answer 1

The oxidation number of sodium is 0. atoms in pure sodium, Na, oxygen, O2, Phosphorus, P4, and sulfur, S8, all have oxidation numbers of zero.

Answer 2

The oxidation number of Na that is neutral is 0

Step-by-step explanation:

This is because there is no gain or loss of electrons. Sodium, in its ground state, has 11 electrons arranged in three energy levels. Since the atom is electrically neutral, the number of protons in the nucleus (11) is equal to the number of electrons. Therefore, the oxidation number of elemental sodium is 0. This usually applies for any free element that is not an Ion/doesn't has a charge.