Uncommon
Oxidation state
Hypothetical charge of an atom if all its bonds to different atoms were fully ionic
Oxidation state
In chemistry, the oxidation state, or oxidation number, is the hypothetical charge of an atom assuming all of its bonds to other atoms are fully ionic. It describes the degree of oxidation (loss of electrons) of an atom in a chemical compound. Conceptually, the oxidation state may be positive, negative or zero. In a binary compound like KCl, an oxidation state of +1 for K implies it has donated an electron to Cl, which will have an oxidation state of -1. Oxidation state is useful for estimating the distribution of electric charge within molecules, especially for those containing primarily ionic bonds, and less so for those with primarily covalent bonds. The oxidation state of an atom is capable of qualitative explanation of patterns in chemical reactions. It does not represent an atom's actual charge. The oxidation states of atoms in a given compound may vary depending on the electronegativity scale used. It is also relevant to the nomenclature conventions of inorganic compounds. Oxidation...
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