Why do compounds have no charge?1 min read

Reading Time: < 1 minutes

Ions that contain fewer electrons than protons have a net positive charge and are called cations. Conversely, ions that contain more electrons than protons have a net negative charge and are called anions. Ionic compounds contain both cations and anions in a ratio that results in no net electrical charge.

Does a compound have a charge?

Since an ionic compound consists of equal number of positive and negative ions, the overall charge of an ionic compound is zero.

Why does an ionic compound have a charge of 0?

This is because the number of electrons (negative in charge) is equal to the number of protons (positive in charge). The overall charge on the atom is zero, because the magnitude of the negative charge is the same as the magnitude of the positive charge.

Why are there no ion charges in covalent compounds?

Covalent compounds don’t have ions because otherwise they would be classified as ionic and not as covalent. It is as simple as that.

Do ionic compounds have no charge?

Any ionic compound will have a net charge of zero. Another way of saying this is that cations and anions must always combine in such a way so that their charges cancel. The number of cations and anions in the formula should be written as the lowest possible integer value.