POSITIVE IONS (Cations)
- Na⁺ — Sodium ion
- K⁺ — Potassium ion
- Mg²⁺ — Magnesium ion
- Ca²⁺ — Calcium ion
- Al³⁺ — Aluminium ion
NEGATIVE IONS (Anions)
- Cl⁻ — Chloride ion
- Br⁻ — Bromide ion
- O²⁻ — Oxide ion
- S²⁻ — Sulfide ion
- N³⁻ — Nitride ion
Quick Check: What type of bonding forms between magnesium and oxygen? What ions are produced?
Ionic bonding. Magnesium (a metal, Group 2) loses 2 electrons to form Mg²⁺. Oxygen (a non-metal, Group 6) gains 2 electrons to form O²⁻. The compound is MgO.
This key facts covers Common Ions You Must Know within Ionic Bonding for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Ionic Bonding in Bonding & Structure for GCSE Chemistry with 35 exam-style questions and 20 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 9 of 16 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Ionic Bonding
Which combination of elements forms an ionic compound?
Describe the structure of an ionic compound and explain why ionic compounds have high melting points. [3 marks]