the oxidation numbers of the elements in a compound must add up to what

The oxidation numbers of the elements in a compound must add up to the overall charge of the compound.

To determine the oxidation numbers, you can follow these steps:

1. Assign an oxidation number of 0 to an uncombined element.
2. In a neutral compound, the sum of the oxidation numbers of all the atoms is equal to zero.
3. For monoatomic ions, the oxidation number is equal to the charge of the ion.
4. In some cases, certain elements have fixed oxidation numbers. For example, in compounds, hydrogen typically has an oxidation number of +1 and oxygen usually has an oxidation number of -2.
5. In compounds, metals tend to have positive oxidation numbers, while nonmetals often have negative oxidation numbers.
6. If there are multiple atoms of the same element, their oxidation numbers can be the same or vary depending on the compound.

By following these guidelines and applying them to the elements in a compound, you can determine their oxidation numbers. Make sure that the sum of the oxidation numbers equals the overall charge of the compound.