In the compound H2SO4 sulfuric acid , the oxidation state of sulfur can be determined by considering the oxidation states of the other elements in the compound and the overall charge of the molecule.Hydrogen has an oxidation state of +1, and oxygen has an oxidation state of -2. The compound H2SO4 has no overall charge, so the sum of the oxidation states of all the elements in the compound must equal zero.Let x be the oxidation state of sulfur. We can set up the following equation:2 +1 + x + 4 -2 = 0Solving for x:2 - 8 + x = 0x = 6So, the oxidation state of sulfur in H2SO4 is +6.