Question

What is the range of oxidation states for carbon? Name a compound in which carbon has its highest oxidation state and one in which it has its lowest.

Short answer

The answer is,

The range of oxidation state is -4 to +4.

Methane (-4) and Carbon dioxide (+4).

Step-by-step solution

 Oxidation state

The oxidation state is the number of charges present on the atom in a compound. It is a hypothetical concept to assign charges to atoms in a compound only if all the bonds in the atom are completely ionic. It gives the knowledge of the degree of oxidation of that atom in the particular compound.

Explanation

Carbon is a tetravalent compound with varying oxidation states from -4 to +4. Methane is a compound with a carbon oxidation state of -4, and carbon dioxide has a carbon oxidation state of +4.