The oxidation number of `C` in `HNC` is

Options

A. `+2`
B. `-3`
C. `+3`
D. `0`

Explanation

To find the oxidation number of carbon (C) in the compound HNC, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the oxidation numbers of the other elements
- The oxidation number of hydrogen (H) is typically +1.
- The oxidation number of nitrogen (N) in this case is -3 (since nitrogen is more electronegative than carbon).

### Step 2: Set up the equation
We can express the overall charge of the compound as the sum of the oxidation numbers of all the elements. Since HNC is a neutral compound, the sum of the oxidation numbers must equal 0.

Let the oxidation number of carbon be represented as \( X \).

The equation can be set up as follows:
\[ \text{Oxidation number of H} + \text{Oxidation number of N} + \text{Oxidation number of C} = 0 \]
Substituting the known values:
\[ (+1) + (-3) + X = 0 \]

### Step 3: Solve for X
Now, we can simplify the equation:
\[ 1 - 3 + X = 0 \]
This simplifies to:
\[ -2 + X = 0 \]
Adding 2 to both sides gives:
\[ X = +2 \]

### Conclusion
The oxidation number of carbon (C) in HNC is +2.