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Group Oxidation State from Valence Electron Count

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State

An element's group oxidation state equals its s/p valence electron count, the state reached when every valence electron is lost or shared away.

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Group 15's five valence electrons give phosphorus a group oxidation state of 5+, as in PCl5.

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The group oxidation state is a ceiling under favorable conditions, not the only state an element shows.