What is the C oxidation state, O oxidation state, and the H oxidation state?

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1 Answer
Jun 1, 2018

Refer below.

Explanation:

In #CH_4# , oxidation state of #C# is -4 while #H# has oxidation state #+1#.

In general,

  1. CARBON: Oxidation state of carbon can vary widely, from #-4# (in #CH_4#) to #+4# (such as in #CO_2#).
  2. OXYGEN: The oxidation state of oxygen in its compounds is -2, except for peroxides like #H_2O_2#, and #Na_2O_2#, in which the oxidation state for #O# is #-1#.
  3. HYDROGEN: The oxidation state of hydrogen is #+1# in its compounds, except for metal hydrides, such as #NaH#, #LiH#, etc., in which the oxidation state for H is #-1#.