1. Assign Oxidation Numbers to Hydrogen
* Hydrogen usually has an oxidation number of +1, except when bonded to metals in binary compounds.
2. Set Up the Equation
* Let "x" represent the oxidation number of nitrogen.
* Since there are two nitrogen atoms (N₂) and four hydrogen atoms (H₄), the equation is: 2x + 4(+1) = 0
3. Solve for "x"
* 2x + 4 = 0
* 2x = -4
* x = -2
Therefore, the oxidation number of nitrogen (N) in N₂H₄ is -2.
