What determines the most likely oxidation state of an element? a. the oxidation state the element has when not in a compound b. the average of all the oxidation states the element could possibly have c. the number of electrons the element needs to lose or gain to have a full valence shell d. the number of protons an element has

The correct answer is Option C.

Explanation:

Oxidation state is defined as the number which is given to an atom when it looses or gains electron. It is written as a superscript.

When an atom looses electron, it will attain a positive oxidation state and when an atom gains electron, it will attain a negative oxidation state.

An atom looses or gains electron to attain stability and to fill their valence shell.

For Example:

Thus, the correct answer is Option C.