* Chlorine's Oxidation Number: Chlorine (Cl) is a halogen and typically has an oxidation number of -1.
* Neutral Compound: PbCl₂ is a neutral compound, meaning the overall charge is zero.
* Balancing the Charges: Since there are two chlorine atoms, the total negative charge from chlorine is -2. To balance this, the lead atom must have an oxidation number of +2.
Therefore, the oxidation number of lead (Pb) in PbCl₂ is +2.
