What determines the oxidation state of an element?

Answer 1

The oxidation state of an element is determined by the number of electrons the element needs to lose or gain to have a full valence electron shell.

Answer 2

The oxidation state of an element is determined by the number of electrons it loses or gains when forming a compound. It depends on the element's position in the Periodic Table and its ability to either lose or gain electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. The rules for assigning oxidation states are based on the idea that atoms tend to gain or lose electrons to achieve a full outer shell.