oxidation state

The oxidation state (also known as oxidation number) is a concept that helps chemists determine the electron distribution in a molecule or ion. There are several rules to assign oxidation states to elements in different compounds or ions. Here are the key rules: Oxidation state of an element in its free (uncombined) state is zero: … Read more

Valency is the number of bonds an atom can form with other atoms, reflecting its ability to combine. Oxidation state, on the other hand, indicates the number of electrons an atom has gained or lost when forming a compound, or its charge in a molecule. For example, in NaCl\text{NaCl}NaCl, sodium has a valency of 1 … Read more