Which statement correctly describes oxidation in terms of electrons?

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Oxidation involves losing electrons, so the oxidation number increases. When an atom or ion loses electrons, its oxidation state becomes more positive. This is why the correct description is that the oxidation number goes up during oxidation. If electrons were gained, the oxidation number would go down (that’s reduction). If there’s no net electron transfer, the oxidation number stays the same, and “fluctuates” doesn’t describe a defined redox change. For example, a metal atom losing an electron to form a cation raises its oxidation state from 0 to a positive value (like 0 to +1).