In NH4OH, the oxidation state of an individual nitrogen atom can be determined by considering the overall charge neutrality of the compound and the known oxidation states of other atoms.
In NH4OH, there are three main components: NH4+ and OH- ions. The ammonium ion (NH4+) has a known oxidation state. Each hydrogen atom in NH4+ has an oxidation state of +1, and since there are four hydrogen atoms, the total oxidation state contribution from hydrogen is +4. The overall charge of the ammonium ion is +1 to balance the -1 charge of the hydroxide ion (OH-).
To find the oxidation state of nitrogen, we can subtract the known oxidation state contribution from hydrogen from the overall charge of the ammonium ion. In this case, +1 - (+4) = -3. Therefore, the oxidation state of nitrogen in NH4OH is -3.