Here's why:
* Oxidation state represents the hypothetical charge an atom would have if all its bonds were 100% ionic.
* Diatomic gases consist of two identical atoms bonded together.
* Since the atoms are identical, they share the electrons equally in the bond.
* Because of the equal sharing of electrons, there is no net charge on either atom.
Examples:
* H₂ (hydrogen gas): Each hydrogen atom has an oxidation state of 0.
* O₂ (oxygen gas): Each oxygen atom has an oxidation state of 0.
* N₂ (nitrogen gas): Each nitrogen atom has an oxidation state of 0.
* Cl₂ (chlorine gas): Each chlorine atom has an oxidation state of 0.
Therefore, in any diatomic gas, the oxidation state of each atom is always zero.
