Periodic Table: Charges - Online Tutor, Practice Problems & Exam Prep

Elements in the periodic table strive to emulate noble gases by adjusting their electron count to achieve a stable outer shell configuration. Metals, such as those in groups 1A, 2A, and 3A, tend to lose electrons and form cations with positive charges of +1, +2, and +3, respectively. Nonmetals, found in groups 5A, 6A, and 7A, gain electrons to become anions with negative charges of -3, -2, and -1. Transition metals, however, can have multiple positive charges due to their electron arrangements, making them Type 2 metals. Some transition metals like scandium, silver, cadmium, and zinc have only one stable charge and are not considered Type 2. Understanding the tendency of elements to lose or gain electrons is crucial for predicting the formation of ions and their charges, which is fundamental in chemical reactions and bonding.

Periodic Table: Charges

Now the elements of the periodic table will either lose or gain electrons to become just like the noble gases. Now remember, your noble gases are the elements that are found in Group 8A or group 18. So remember two different ways to describe the same column of the periodic table. The reason these elements want to become the noble gas is because noble gases themselves have the optimal number of outer shell electrons.

What that means specifically? We'll talk about several chapters from now. Just realized when it comes to the elements, they'll either lose or gain electrons so that their number of electrons matches one of the nearest noble gases. Now we're going to say here, when it comes to metals, metals tend to lose electrons to become positively charged ions called cations. Here, just think of it like this. Cations at T could represent the positive charge that the ion gains. And it makes sense, because if you're losing negatively charged subatomic particles in the form of electrons, you're going to become more positively charged.

Now metals themselves. Metals can have either one type of positive charge or multiple types of positive charges. When a metal possesses 1 charge, we refer to them as type 1 metals. When metals have multiple charges then they referred to as type 2 metals. We'll go in greater detail on what types of metals are type 1 metals and what other types of metals are type 2 metals. Now if metals lose electrons then non metals must be gaining electrons. So non metals tend to gain electrons to become negatively charged ions called anions.

Remember again, this makes sense. I'm gaining negatively charged electrons, so I'm going to become more negative as a result. So just remember, the whole reason elements gain and lose electrons is to become just like the noble gases. In the next video, we'll see exactly how many electrons will we lose or gain for any particular element.

Periodic Table: Charges Example 1

So for this example question, it says from what you know about ion formation in the periodic table, which ion would be unlikely to occur. So before we look at this question, remember we're going to say that metals, they tend to lose electrons, so if they're going to lose electrons, they're going to become positively charged. And remember, nonmetals tend to gain electrons and therefore become negatively charged.

So if we take a look here, we have RB looking on a periodic table. We know that RB hat is a metal and therefore it makes sense that it would have a positive charge. So this is a likely setup for RBI. Next, oxygen O oxygen is a nonmetal. Nonmetals tend to gain electrons and become negatively charged, so this is reasonable.

Minnesota Minnesota is a metal. Again, metals tend to lose electrons to become positively charged, so that positive charge is a possibility. Al Al is aluminum. Aluminum is a metal. Again metals tend to lose electrons to become positively charged so it doesn't make sense that Al would have a Al-3 charge here. So this is unlikely. So this would be our answer then if we look at the last one, CL chlorine, chlorine is a nonmetal so it makes sense it could gain electrons to become negatively charged.

So just Remember Remember metals tend to lose electrons to become positively charged. Non metals tend to gain electrons to become negatively charged. OK, now that we know this fundamental idea, let's move on to our next video where we go into how many electrons do they gain? How many electrons do they lose? And in that way know what type of ions are possible for certain types of elements.

Periodic Table: Charges

So let's talk about first our main group elements. Remember, your main group elements are the elements found in Group 1A or group 12A or group 2, and then from 3A to 8 A or what we call groups 13 to 18. The elements here in the grayed out box, those are our transition metals. We'll talk about those later on, but for right now let's just focus on our main group elements.

Now recall that the atomic number which uses the variable Z of an atom equals the number of protons within its nucleus. For example, we'd say that beryllium has an atomic number 4, so it has four protons. For a neutral element, its number of electrons is equal to its number of protons. O beryllium here has an atomic number of four, which means it has four protons. And here, if we're dealing with a neutral element, it'll have the same number of electrons, so it'll also have 4 electrons.

Now we said that all these elements of the periodic table are all trying to become just like our noble gases, our group 8A elements. They have the optimal number of electrons. Helium has two, Neon has 10, Argon has 18, and as we go down, these are all their atomic numbers, which gives us the number of electrons they have. Now elements try to gain or lose electrons to match each number of electrons for the normal gases. So noble gases, since they're perfect, their charge is 0, so they don't have a charge they don't need to gain or lose electrons.

Let's look at group 7A. All the elements in Group 7A flooring. Let's look at F Fluorine has nine electrons when it's neutral. If it wants to have 10 electrons, like neon, it would have to gain 1 electron. Chlorine has 17 electrons with neutral. To have 18, like argon again I'd have to gain 1 electron. So each element in this column would have to gain 1 electron to become like the noble gas next to it. By gaining that one electron they would get an A charge now of -1 because remember gaining electrons gives us a negative charge.

Oxygen, oxygen when neutral has eight electrons to have 10 electrons like neon. How many electrons would it need to gain? If you said two, you'd be right. So same thing with sulfur has 16 and have to gain 2 electrons to become just like argon. So this group 6A, it's charge is normally -2. Nitrogen has seven, so to get to 10 you'd have to gain 3 electrons. So this the charge of this group is normally -3.

Now of course some of these groups that gets tricky because in Group five we see that we have nonmetals here, so they have a -3 charge, but then we have metalloids and then we run into metals. Metals don't want to have a negative charge, you want to have a positive charge. So these negative charges, when we're referring to them is predominantly with the non metal, the blue species. The elements are in the blue boxes.

Group 4 is a little bit tricky, so Group 4 is equal distance either way. What I mean by that is carbon could try to gain 4 electrons to become like neon, or we could try to lose 4 electrons so that it has two like helium. So it's kind of in a special situation. So as a result of this we kind of just say non applicable to Group 4 based on their location the periodic table. Now though, we do have an exception that's around exception one, and this pertains to lead and tin. Lead and Tin are here SN and PB because of where they're located, how far down they are. They kind of have characteristics similar to transition metals. They can either be +2 or +4 for their charges. So just remember when it comes to tin and lead they can be +2 or +4. They're interesting situation when it comes to the periodic table and charges.

Now let's look at Boron and the other elements that are within this group. Boron is a metalloid metalloids. They have characteristics of both metals and non metals, so it's a bit tricky with them. So we won't be talking about boron, but we can talk about the elements below boron. Aluminum all the way down to New Hampshire. They're all metals, so they all want to lose electrons to become like a noble gas. Now, aluminum here, its atomic number is 13. So when it's neutral, it has 13 electrons. It has two choices. It can either try to gain 7 electrons to get, I mean not seven. You can try to gain 5 electrons to have 18 electrons just like argon, or it can do something easier than that. Instead of trying to gain 5 electrons, it could just try to lose 3 electrons so that it has 10 electrons like neon. And when it comes to chemistry, chemistry, we always go in the path that's easiest and fastest. OK, so it's easier for aluminum to lose 3 electrons than to loop to gain 5 electrons because it's more spaces that you have to jump to become a noble gas. This way easier just to let go of your 3 electrons. So because of this, this group tends to be +3 for its charge beryllium.

Let's look at beryllium. Beryllium has an atomic number of four, so it has two choices. It could either try 2 what gain 6 electrons 123456 to become like neon, or do something easier, just lose 2 electrons so that it has two electrons just like helium. So the easier and shorter path is to lose electrons, so this group tends to be +2. Then finally, again, we're talking about the metals. They're the ones who want to lose electrons to become positive heat. Hydrogen is not a metal, so we don't talk about hydrogen in this regard. But we'd say that lithium could try to gain 7 electrons to get to 10 like helium, which is a long distance to cover. Or the easier thing would be just to lose 1 electron and become like helium. So this group tends to be plus one.

So these are the charges that you need to commit to memory when it comes to these different groups. Group 1A plus one, group 2A plus two then plus three. Fourth group is non applicable. Group 5A is -3 then -2 then -1. Noble gases are perfect, so they don't want to gain a charge. Now, exception 2, we're going to say this pertains to our heavy metals of bismuth, polonium, and those that have atomic numbers from 1:14 to 1:18. Because of their position on the periodic table, they're a little bit weird and they have multiple types of charges, so we tend not to talk about them. But when it comes to main group elements, just keep in mind the major charges that we've listed plus 1 +, 2 +, 3 -, 3, -, 2, and -1. And then of course your exception one. This is what you need to take away from the main group elements and their various charges.

Periodic Table: Charges Example 2

So for this example question, it says predicted charge that a gallium ion would possess. So we know it has a charge because it's using the term ion. Now gallium remember gallium is element symbol is GA. Gallium itself is in Group 3A, or what we known as group 13.

Now remember, in this group it's easier to lose electrons because most of the elements in this group are metals, and it's easier for them to lose 3 electrons in order to be like the nearest noble gas South. Here this group 38 normally tends to be plus three in terms of charge. Because of this, option C would be our correct answer.

Which element possesses a -2 charge when it combines with other elements?  

• A. Ca
• B. Mn
• C. P
• D. Se
• E. F

Periodic Table: Charges

So remember, type 2 metals are metals that possess multiple charges. Now we're going to say most transition metals have varying positive charges because of their electron arrangements around the nucleus. Now there's going to be more advanced explanations for this later on, but we'll discuss them in much later chapters. So just remember, when it comes to type 2 metals, a majority of them are the transition metals. They have multiple charges.

So here, if we take a look, we have some of the most common types of transition metals, and what we need to realize is that although many of them have multiple charges, there are quite a few that do possess only one charge. So for example, scandium, which is in Group three or three B, it's 3+, and there's some similar chemical properties going on for elements within that group. Because scandium is 3+, that means the other metals that are in this group with it are also 3+.

But then of course, when you look at other transition metals, you're going to see a bunch of charges, like manganese, for example, could be 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+, or even 7+. Now the way we're able to tell which one of these charges manganese will have will be dependent on the other element it's connected to. We'll learn about that later on, but just realize here that these transition metals are called transition metals because they have a bunch of possible charges.

Now, besides the elements in Group 3B or three, we also have silver, cadmium and zinc, although their transition metals as well, they also have only one particular charge. So silver, when it's an ion, it's going to be 1+. Cadmium and zinc, they're both in the same group again, so they're going to be similar to each other. Both of them will be 2+ when they do have a charge.

So again, transition metals, a lot of them have multiple possible charges and because of that, they're characterized as being typed 2 metals. Some of the transition metals, the ones in red, they possess only one charge. They are transition metals, but they're not type 2 metals because they don't have multiple charges. So keep this in mind when we're confronting different types of transition metals. Some have the potential to have multiple charges.

Periodic Table: Charges Example 3

So, if we look at this example question, it says predict a major charge of an ion if it were discovered to be in. Ten, group 3B. All right. So something that might jump out at you when you look at this question is the fact that we're talking about a period ten element. But we know that when we look at a periodic table, there's only 7 rows. So our periodic tables only go up to. 7. So where is this. 10 coming from?

Well, remember I discussed earlier that the periodic table is dynamic. It changes over time because we are either going to discover new elements or create new elements. The number of roles will overtime increase. So there is a chance that we will create an element or maybe there's an element that already exists that is located in. 10. But that's not the important part of this question. The important part is the group that it's in. It's in Group 3B.

So remember we talked about this up above group 3B. This contains the element scandium and it has a charge of 3+. And we said that there's something special about that group 3B. The other metals in that group would also possess a charge of 3+, so here that would mean that option E would be my correct choice. So remember a lot of the transition metals have multiple charges, but there are some patterns that we can observe when looking at different transition metals, one of them being elements from group 3B having a charge of 3+.

What is the likely charge of the element with an atomic number of 47?

• A. +4
• B. +3
• C. -1
• D. +1
• E. +2

How many electrons would the cadmium ion possess?  

• A. 50
• B. 48
• C. 46
• D. 52
• E. 30

Here’s what students ask on this topic:

What are the charges on the periodic table?

The periodic table itself does not directly list charges. However, it provides valuable information that can help you predict the common charges ions of elements are likely to have. The charges are not explicitly given because an element can have multiple oxidation states, and the charge depends on the chemical context.

Elements in the periodic table are organized into groups (columns) that share similar chemical properties, including common ion charges. For example, the alkali metals in Group 1 typically form +1 cations, while the alkaline earth metals in Group 2 typically form +2 cations. Transition metals can have multiple positive charges, and the typical charges are often not as predictable as those of the main group elements.

Nonmetals, which are found on the right side of the periodic table, often form anions. For instance, halogens in Group 17 typically form -1 anions. Oxygen and other elements in Group 16 commonly form -2 anions.

By understanding the trends and the position of an element within the periodic table, you can often predict the charge of the ions that element is likely to form.

How can charges be found on the periodic table?

Charges on the periodic table refer to the typical ionic charge that an element's atom can have when it forms an ion. These are not explicitly listed on the periodic table, but you can often predict them based on an element's group (column).

For main group elements, the group number can give you a clue:

1. Elements in Groups 1 (alkali metals) and 2 (alkaline earth metals) typically have a +1 and +2 charge, respectively, when they lose electrons to form cations.
2. Transition metals (in the middle block of the periodic table) can have various charges, and their common ionic charges are not easily predicted by their location on the table.
3. Groups 13-18 elements (except for the noble gases, which rarely form ions) typically form cations with a charge equal to the group number minus 10. For example, aluminum in Group 13 forms a +3 ion.
4. Nonmetals in Groups 15-17 often gain electrons to become anions. The charge is typically the group number minus 18. For instance, oxygen in Group 16 usually forms a -2 ion.

Remember that these are general trends and that there can be exceptions. Transition metals and some heavier elements can exhibit multiple charges, and the actual charge can depend on the chemical context.