Do Molecular Compounds Have Charges?

Molecular compounds are electrically neutral. Group IA, IIA, and IIIA metals tend to form cations by losing all of their outermost (valence) electrons. The charge on the cation is the same as the group number. The cation is given the same name as the neutral metal atom.

Do molecular compounds have ions?

Molecular Compounds

Many compounds do not contain ions but instead consist solely of discrete, neutral molecules. These molecular compounds (covalent compounds) result when atoms share, rather than transfer (gain or lose), electrons.

Can a compound have a charge?

Ionic compounds contain positively and negatively charged ions in a ratio that results in an overall charge of zero. ... Atoms or groups of atoms that possess a net electrical charge are called ions; they can have either a positive charge (cations) or a negative charge (anions).