This document discusses redox reactions and oxidation states. It defines redox as the transfer of electrons between reactants or oxidation and reduction. It explains that oxidation states indicate how many electrons are gained, lost, or shared by an atom in a compound. Oxidation states follow rules like elements in their free state have an oxidation state of 0 and the total oxidation states of atoms in a compound or polyatomic ion equal the overall charge. The document also introduces the oxidation scale, which shows the change in oxidation state during oxidation or reduction reactions.