Table of Ions

“An ion is a small electrically charged particle. Ions are single charged atoms (simple ions) or small charged “molecules” (polyatomic ions).”

  • Simple ions include Na+, Ca2+, and Cl–.
  • Polyatomic ions include (NH4)+, (CO3)2-, and OH–.

Unlike protons and neutrons, electrons can be easily removed and added to an atom. Ions are formed as a result of this addition or removal of electrons from the atom. Negative ions, known as anions, form when an atom gains electrons and now has more electrons than protons, indicating that the number of protons and electrons is not balanced.

If an atom loses electrons, it becomes a positive ion known as a cation, which has fewer electrons than protons and thus has a positive charge. Atoms do this so that they can have a full outer shell of electrons and be more energy stable.

Table of Contents

Overview of Ions Group Wise

  1. Cations with a +1 charge are formed by Group I A elements.
  2. The elements of Group II A remove two electrons to form cations with a +2 charge.
  3. Transition metals are found in Groups III B to II B (3–12). These elements form cations with varying extents of charge. Charges of +2 or +3 are common, but charges ranging from +1 to +6 are possible.
  4. Metals in Group III A form cations with a +3 charge. Boron (B) is a non-metal in this group and typically it does not form a cation.
  5. Group IV A metals form cations with a +4 charge, whereas tin (Sn) and lead (Pb) can form cations with a +2 charge. Carbon (C) and silicon (Si) are nonmetals that rarely form cations.
  6. Group V A nonmetals nitrogen (N), and phosphorous (P) form anions with a –3 charge. The anion of arsenic (As) has a –3 charge, but it can also form cations with a +3 or +5 charge. Bismuth (Bi) is similar to arsenic in its behaviour.
  7. Nonmetals in Group VI form anions with a –2 charge. Polonium (atomic number 84) only produces cations.
  8. Anions with a charge of –1 are formed by Group VII A elements.
  9. Normally, Group VIII A elements are uncharged.

Table of Ions

Table of Ions/Charges of Common Elements

Below given is a chart of the most common charges for chemical element atoms. It can be used to predict whether or not an atom can bond with another atom. An atom’s charge is related to its valence electrons or oxidation state.

Number Element Charge
1 Hydrogen 1+
2 Helium 0
3 Lithium 1+
4 Beryllium 2+
5 Boron 3-, 3+
6 Carbon 4+
7 Nitrogen 3-
8 Oxygen 2-
9 Fluorine 1-
10 Neon 0
11 Sodium 1+
12 Magnesium 2+
13 Aluminium 3+
14 Silicon 4+, 4-
15 Phosphorus 5+, 3+, 3-
16 Sulphur 2-, 2+, 4+, 6+
17 Chlorine 1-
18 Argon 0
19 Potassium 1+
20 Calcium 2+
21 Scandium 3+
22 Titanium 4+, 3+
23 Vanadium 2+, 3+, 4+, 5+
24 Chromium 2+, 3+, 6+
25 Manganese 2+, 4+, 7+
26 Iron 2+, 3+
27 Cobalt 2+, 3+
28 Nickel 2+
29 Copper 1+, 2+
30 Zinc 2+
31 Gallium 3+
32 Germanium 4-, 2+, 4+
33 Arsenic 3-, 3+, 5+
34 Selenium 2-, 4+, 6+
35 Bromine 1-, 1+, 5+
36 Krypton 0
37 Rubidium 1+
38 Strontium 2+
39 Yttrium 3+
40 Zirconium 4+
41 Niobium 3+, 5+
42 Molybdenum 3+, 6+
43 Technetium 6+
44 Ruthenium 3+, 4+, 8+
45 Rhodium 4+
46 Palladium 2+, 4+
47 Silver 1+
48 Cadmium 2+
49 Indium 3+
50 Tin 2+, 4+
51 Antimony 3-, 3+, 5+
52 Tellurium 2-, 4+, 6+
53 Iodine 1-
54 Xenon 0
55 Cesium 1+
56 Barium 2+
57 Lanthanum 3+
58 Cerium 3+, 4+
59 Praseodymium 3+
60 Neodymium 3+, 4+
61 Promethium 3+
62 Samarium 3+
63 Europium 3+
64 Gadolinium 3+
65 Terbium 3+, 4+
66 Dysprosium 3+
67 Holmium 3+
68 Erbium 3+
69 Thulium 3+
70 Ytterbium 3+
71 Lutetium 3+
72 Hafnium 4+
73 Tantalum 5+
74 Tungsten 6+
75 Rhenium 2+, 4+, 6+, 7+
76 Osmium 3+, 4+, 6+, 8+
77 Iridium 3+, 4+, 6+
78 Platinum 2+, 4+, 6+
79 Gold 1+, 2+, 3+
80 Mercury 1+, 2+
81 Thallium 1+, 3+
82 Lead 2+, 4+
83 Bismuth 3+
84 Polonium 2+, 4+
85 Astatine 1-
86 Radon 0
87 Francium 1+
88 Radium 2+
89 Actinium 3+
90 Thorium 4+
91 Protactinium 5+
92 Uranium 3+, 4+, 6+

Read more: Common Polyatomic Ions

Frequently Asked Questions on Table of Ions

Q1

How many types of ions are there?

There are only two types of ions- Cations and anions.

Cations are positively charged particles or ions and anions are negatively charged particles or ions.

Q2

How do you determine ionic charge?

There is a quick way to calculate the charge on an ion: the number of charges on an ion formed by a metal is equal to the metal’s group number.

The group number minus eight equals the number of charges on an ion formed by a nonmetal.

Q3

How do you read an ion?

When writing an ion symbol, the one- or two-letter element symbol comes first, followed by a superscript. The superscript indicates the number of charges on the ion, followed by a + (for positive ions or cations) or – (for negative ions or anions). Because neutral atoms have a charge of zero, no superscript is required.

Q4

Which group in the periodic table cannot form ions?

Since the Group 8A elements have a full octet of eight valence electrons in their highest-energy orbitals, they have a low tendency to gain or lose electrons to form ions or share electrons with other elements in covalent bonds.

Q5

Can ions exist on their own?

Ions of like charge repel each other, and ions of opposite charge attract each other. Therefore, ions do not usually exist on their own but will bind with ions of opposite charges to form a crystal lattice. The resulting compound is called an ionic compound, and is said to be held together by ionic bonding.

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