BRAINCAKEChemical Formulae
An ionic compound contains cations (positive ions) and anions (negative ions). The formula can be worked out from the charge on each ion since the overall charge in the compound is zero.
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Key terms in this lesson
- Ion
- A positively or negatively charged atom or group of atoms, formed by the loss or gain of electrons.
- Cation
- A positively charged ion, formed when an atom loses one or more electrons.
- Anion
- A negatively charged ion, formed when an atom gains one or more electrons.
More in Atoms, Ions and Compounds
- Relative Isotopic Mass
- Relative Atomic Mass
- The Mass Spectrometer
- Calculating Relative Atomic Mass
- Polyatomic ions
- Chemical Equations
- Electron Shells
- Spin
All 17 lessons in Atoms, Ions and Compounds · All OCR AS-level Chemistry topics