Oxidation Numbers

While oxidation is easily seen in metals that have rusted, oxidation occurs many ways in chemistry. Determining an oxidation state is an essential skill that is used in naming many compounds. It is also an important part of identifying and analyzing oxidation and reduction reactions. When atoms combine with other atoms, their electron structure is altered. Some atoms give away electrons, while others take in additional electrons forming ions. In this topic, you learned about the seven different rules that are used when assigning oxidation numbers to an atom in a molecule. You also learned that there are some elements for which there are no specific rules.