What's the difference between oxidation state and oxidation number?

Answer 1

oxidation is the process that occurs when a substance combines with oxygen, or any chemical process where there is a loss of electrons charge is also known as the oxidation number (oxidation state). which is a number assigned to an element, to represent how many electrons it has. for example hydrogen has a charge of +1 oxygen has a charge of -2

Answer 2

Oxidation No. of an element in a chemical species (e.g. atom, molecule, ion etc) , may be regarded as the average charge acquired by an atom of that element, if the species is considered to be an aggregate of ions.

Oxidation state of a particular atom of an element in a chemical species may be regarded as the charge acquired by that particular atom , if the species is considered to be an aggregate of ions.

The oxidation No. of carbon in propane is -8/3 where as the oxidation states of both carbon atoms at extremities are -3 and that of the middle one is -2. Hence the average is

-8/3

Answer 3

At first it was said that oxidation was when there was a reaction with oxygen and reduction was the reverse process. It was also said that reduction was a reaction with hydrogen, but later on a more general concept was developped saying that oxidation is when an atom or ion loses electrons and reduction is when it gains electrons.

Answer 4

Oxidation state and oxidation number are often used interchangeably, but oxidation state usually refers to the charge of an atom within a compound, taking into account its covalent bonds and the electronegativity of the other atoms. On the other hand, oxidation number is a simpler concept that assumes all bonds are ionic, assigning a formal charge based on the number of electrons gained or lost.

Answer 5

oxidation is the transfer of electrons and it will become positive in charge, reduction is when the reactant gainselectrons and it will become negative in charge.