Oxidation Number Definition

Oxidation Number Definition: The oxidation number is the electrical charge that the central atom in a coordination compound would have if all the ligands and electron pairs were removed. Usually the oxidation number has the same value as the oxidation state.

The oxidation number is represented by a Roman numeral. The plus sign is omitted for positive oxidation numbers. The oxidation number is seen as a superscript to the right of an element symbol (e.g., Fe^III) or in parentheses after the element name [e.g., Fe(III)] usually with no space between the element name and the parentheses.

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