in English is largely synonymous with
oxidation state,
and may be preferred when the value represents a mere parameter or number rather than being related
to chemical systematics or a state of the atom in a compound. Etymologically, it stems from the
no-longer-used term
Stock number (oxidation number of a
central atom; the
charge it would bear if all the ligands were removed along with the electron pairs that were shared with the
central atom) and
the likewise obsolete term
Ewens–Bassett number (ion charge).
Source:
Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by
A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997).
XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic,
J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.
