The oxidation state of N in `HN_3` is

Options

A. `+3`
B. `-3`
C. `-1//3`
D. `+1//3`

Answer

To determine the oxidation state of nitrogen (N) in hydrazine (HN₃), we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the molecule and its components**: The molecule in question is HN₃, which consists of one hydrogen atom (H) and three nitrogen atoms (N).

2. **Assign known oxidation states**:
- The oxidation state of hydrogen (H) is typically +1.

3. **Set up the equation**:
- Let the oxidation state of nitrogen be represented by \( x \). Since there are three nitrogen atoms in HN₃, we will represent their total oxidation state as \( 3x \).
- The overall charge of the molecule HN₃ is neutral (0).

4. **Write the equation based on the sum of oxidation states**:
\[ 3x + (+1) = 0 \]

5. **Solve for \( x \)**:
- Rearranging the equation gives:
\[ 3x + 1 = 0 \implies 3x = -1 \implies x = -\frac{1}{3} \]

6. **Conclusion**:
- The oxidation state of nitrogen in HN₃ is \( -\frac{1}{3} \).