Here's how to determine it:
* Oxygen's oxidation state: Oxygen typically has an oxidation state of -2 in compounds.
* Neutral molecule: Nitric oxide (NO) is a neutral molecule, meaning the sum of the oxidation states of all atoms must be zero.
* Let 'x' be the oxidation state of nitrogen: Therefore, x + (-2) = 0
* Solving for x: x = +2
So, the oxidation state of nitrogen in nitric oxide (NO) is +2.
