The elements of the Periodic Table have different ionic charges. The Period Table With Charges is an essential tool for science students.
The best way to find out what the ionic charge for a specific element is is by checking the Periodic table.
“Wonder is the heaviest element on the perioid table. Even a tiny fleck of it stops time.” — Diane Ackerman
There is also a very clear way of knowing whether an element has a positive or a negative ionic charge. All the metallic elements located on the left part of the Periodic Table have a positive ionic charge, while all the metallic elements located on the right part of the Periodic Table have a negative ionic charge.
What Is An Ion?
Ion is the name of the subatomic particles that are components of all the atoms. Those particles can be neutrons, which are the neutral subatomic particles located in the very center (nucleus) of the atom together with protons with a positive charge. The isotope of the atom is determined by the number of neutrons and protons therein.
Electrons are the subatomic particles characterized by their negative charges. Another thing that makes electrons famous is their free movement around the nucleus in circular directions, making orbital of three dimensions. It is precisely this ability that electrons have to move in orbitals while jumping between different atoms is what contributes to the formation of ions.
The process of ion formation involves atoms giving up electrons in order to form other atoms. This then results in the formation of cations (positively-charged ions) and, also, the atoms then pick up electrons from each other, which results in the formation of anions (negatively-charged ions).
What Are Cations?
Cations are positively charged atoms that are formed from metal atoms. For example, gold, silver copper or sodium. Any electrons that are lost by atoms that are picked up by neutral atoms will turn those neutral atoms into positive atoms.
Because electrons have such ease of movement between atoms, metals are great electricity conductors. Electrons carry with them electrical energy when they move between atoms.
If studying the periodic table taught me nothing else, it’s that the credulity of human beings for periodic table panaceas is pretty much boundless. – Sam Kean
If you look at the periodic table, you will find the metals in groups (from one to 16). Group one is composed of metals that have a +1 charge, while all the metals in groups 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12, and 16 have a charge +2. Then, metals in groups thirteen and fifteen have a charge of +3. Finally, all the metals in group 14 have a +4 charge.
What Are Anions?
Anions are formed from all the nonmetal elements. For example, sulfur, oxygen, and carbon. All these elements are grouped in the Periodic Table in the following groups: 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17.
Each of the anions gets its electrons from other atoms as the process of ionic bonding is taking place. This whole process results in an increased number of electrons with a negative charge. The main difference between these negatively-charged electrons and cations is that anions do not conduct electricity.
The elements in group 13 and group 15 form a cation with a -3 charge each. And elements in group 14 have a charge of -4. Elements in group 16 have a charge of -2, while all the elements of group 17 are halogens with a charge of -1 each.
Alkali Metals: Group 1
Here is the full list of metals in group one (+1 charge):
- Lithium (Li).
- Sodium (Na).
- Potassium (K).
- Rubidium (Rb).
- Cesium (Cs).
- Francium (Fr).
Alkali Earth Metals: Group 2
Here is the full list of metals in group two (+2 charge):
- Beryllium (Be).
- Magnesium (Mg).
- Calcium (Ca).
- Strontium (Sr).
- Barium (Ba).
- Radium (Ra).
Everywhere in the universe, the periodic table has the same basic structure. Even if an alien civilization’s table weren’t plotted out in the castle-with-turrets shape we humans favor, their spiral or pyramidal or whatever-shaped periodic table would naturally pause after 118 elements. – Sam Kean
Group 3 Elements
Here is the full list of metals in group three (+1 charge):
- Scandium (Sc).
- Yttrium (Y).
- Lanthanum (La) or Lutetium (Lu).
- Actinium (Ac) or Lawrencium (Lr).
Group 4 Elements
Here is the full list of metals in group four (+1 charge):
- Titanium (Ti).
- Zirconium (Zr).
- Hafnium (Hf).
- Rutherfordium (Rf).
Group 5 Elements
Here is the full list of metals in group five (+1 charge):
- Vanadium (V).
- Niobium (Nb).
- Tantalum (Ta).
- Dubnium (Db).
Group 6 Elements
Here is the full list of metals in group six (+1 charge):
- Chromium (Cr).
- Molybdenum (Mo).
- Tungsten (W).
- Seaborgium (Sg).
Group 7 Elements
Here is the full list of metals in group seven (+1 charge):
- Manganese (Mn).
- Technetium (Tc).
- Rhenium (Re).
- Bohrium (Bh).
Group 8 Elements
Here is the full list of metals in group eight (+1 charge):
- Iron (Fe).
- Ruthenium (Ru).
- Osmium (Os).
- Hassium (Hs).
Group 9 Elements
Here is the full list of metals in group nine (+1 charge):
- Cobalt (Co).
- Rhodium (Rh).
- Iridium (Ir).
Group 10 Elements
Here is the full list of metals in group ten (+1 charge):
- Nickel (Ni).
- Palladium (Pd).
- Platinum (Pt).
Group 11 Elements
Here is the full list of metals in group eleven (+1 charge):
- Copper (Cu).
- Silver (Ag).
- Gold (Au).
- Roentgenium (Rg).
Group 12 Elements
Here is the full list of metals in group twelve (+1 charge):
- Zinc (Zn).
- Cadmium (Cd).
- Mercury (Hg).
- Copernicium (Cn).
Chalcogens: Group 16 Elements
Here is the full list of metals in group sixteen (+2 charge):
- Oxygen (O).
- Sulfur (S).
- Selenium (Se).
- Tellurium (Te).
- Polonium (Po).
Boron Group: Group 13
Here is the full list of metals in group thirteen (+3 charge):
- Boron (B).
- Aluminum (A).
- Gallium (Ga).
- Indium (In).
- Thallium (Ti).
- Nihonium (Nh).
Nitrogens: Group 15
Here is the full list of metals in group fifteen (+3 charge):
- Nitrogen (N).
- Phosphorus (P).
- Arsenic (As).
- Antimony (Sb).
- Bismuth (Bi).
- Moscovium (Mc).
Carbons: Group 14 Elements
Here is the full list of metals in group fourteen (+4 charge):
- Carbon (C).
- Silicon (Si).
- Germanium (Ge).
- Tin (Sn).
- Lead (Pb).
- Flerovium (Fl).
All the other elements have a negative charge as indicated above. If you would like to check them out, you should look at the Periodic Table: groups 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17.