When an atom in a reactant gains electrons, what happens to its oxidation number?
A).Its oxidation number decreases.
B).Its oxidation number doubles.
C).Its oxidation number increases.
D).Its oxidation number increases by one.
E).Its oxidation number stays the same.
The oxidation number of an atom is related to the charge associated with it. When an atom gains electrons, it gains negative charge, so the oxidation number goes down.
