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The sum of the charges of ions in an ionic bond is always equal to zero. The compound would consist of the minimum number of ions necessary to make the charge of the compound equal to zero.

For example, the charge of Na is +1, and the charge of Cl is -1. When these are bonded in an ionic bond, the Na+ and Cl- make NaCl, with a charge of zero.

When you have two elements that aren't equal in charge, then you must make it to where the charges of both the cations and the anions equal zero when summed. You do this by adding more cations and anions to the compound as necessary.

For example, the charge of Magnesium is +2, and the charge of Nitrogen is -3. To make the charge of this compound equal zero, you would need three Magnesiums and two Nitrogens. (2+2+2-3-3=0.) This means that when Mg2+ and N3- are bonded in an ionic bond, they would make Mg3N2.

But basically, the short answer is that the sum of the charges on the ions in a unit of a compound is zero.

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Q: What is the sum of the charges of all the cations and anions?
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What is the sum of charges of all cations and anions?

In a neutral compound, the sum of charges of all cations and anions will be zero. This is because cations have a positive charge and anions have a negative charge, and in a neutral compound, these charges will balance out.


What is the sum of all charges in a formula for an ionic compound?

The sum of all charges in a formula for an ionic compound must equal zero. This is because the compound is neutral overall, so the total positive charges from the cations must balance out the total negative charges from the anions.


In ionic compounds what are the sum of the charges of all the cations and anions?

The positive and negative charges are equal in magnitude (absolute value).


What is the sume of cation values and anion values in an ionic compound?

In an ionic compound, the sum of the cation values is equal to the sum of the anion values. This is because ionic compounds must have a neutral charge overall, which is achieved by balancing the positive charge of the cations with the negative charge of the anions.


What is the sume of positive and negative charges in an ionic compound?

The sum of positive and negative charges in an ionic compound is zero. This is because the compound is formed by the attraction between positively charged cations and negatively charged anions, resulting in a neutral overall charge.


What is the sum of the oxidation number in a compound?

The sum of the oxidation numbers in a compound is zero for a neutral compound. This is because the total positive oxidation numbers from the cations must equal the total negative oxidation numbers from the anions to balance out and form a neutral compound.


What is the sum of all charges in the formula for an ionic compound?

The sum of all charges in the formula for an ionic compound must be zero. This is because the compound is made up of positively and negatively charged ions that combine in such a way that the overall charge is neutral.


Do Ionic compounds gain or lose electrons?

Ionic compounds typically form by losing or gaining electrons. Cations (positively charged ions) are formed by losing electrons, while anions (negatively charged ions) are formed by gaining electrons. Ionic compounds result from the electrostatic attraction between these positively and negatively charged ions.


In ionic compounds the sum of the charges of all the cations and anions must be?

Think to yourself, do most things carry an electric charge? Since most things don't stick together or push apart, it should be obvious that most things are neutral. Therefore, the total positive and total negative in a compound must be equal so they completely cancel each other.


How is oxidation number determined for ionic compounds?

In ionic compounds, the oxidation number is determined by the charge associated with each ion. For cations, the oxidation number is the same as the charge on the ion. For anions, the oxidation number is the negative of the charge on the ion. The sum of the oxidation numbers in an ionic compound must be zero.


What is the overall charge of an ionic compound?

it is always equal to zero.The overall charge of a formula unit for an ionic compound is zero. The numbers of positive and negative ions are such that the sum of the positive charges and the negative charges is zero.


What is additivity of charges?

Additivity of charges refers to the principle that the total charge of a system is the sum of the individual charges within that system. This means that if you have multiple charges in a system, you can find the total charge by adding up all the individual charges present. Mathematically, it can be represented as Q_total = Q_1 + Q_2 + ... + Q_n, where Q_total is the total charge and Q_1, Q_2, ... Q_n are the individual charges.