What is the sum of the oxidation numbers in a neutral compound?
A.
+2
B.
-1
C.
0
D.
+1
Correct answer is C
The sum of the oxidation numbers in a neutral compound is always zero. This is because oxidation numbers represent the charge that an atom would have if all bonding were ionic. In a neutral compound, the total positive charge (from the oxidation numbers of the atoms that have positive oxidation numbers) must equal the total negative charge (from the atoms that have negative oxidation numbers).
