If the oxidation state of H is + 1 and O is - 2, what is the oxidation state of C in C2H4O? - 1 + 2 + 1 - 2

It should be noted that a neutral compound has an overall oxidation state of zero. This means that the sum of the oxidation states of each individual component multiplied by the number of atoms of that component must be equal to zero. For C2H4O, excluding the oxidation state of C, H4 gives a value of + 4, and O gives a value of - 2. This gives the compound a temporary oxidation value of + 2. This means that in order for the compound to be neutral, C must have an oxidation state of - 2. Since there are 2 atoms of C, its oxidation state must be - 1.