Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
Updated on November 04, 2019Cations are ions which have a positive electrical charge. A cation has fewer electrons than protons. An ion may consist of a single atom of an element (a monatomic ion or monatomic cation or anion) or of several atoms that are bonded together (a polyatomic ion or polyatomic cation or anion). Because of their net electrical charge, cations are repelled by other cations and are attracted to anions.
This is a table listing the name, formula, and charge of common cations. Alternate names are given for some cations.
Cation Name | Formula | Other Name |
Aluminum | Al 3+ | |
Ammonium | NH4 + | |
Barium | Ba 2+ | |
Calcium | Ca 2+ | |
Chromium(II) | Cr 2+ | Chromous |
Chromium(III) | Cr 3+ | Chromic |
Copper(I) | Cu + | Cuprous |
Copper(II) | Cu 2+ | Cupric |
Iron(II) | Fe 2+ | Ferrous |
Iron(III) | Fe 3+ | Ferric |
Hydrogen | H + | |
Hydronium | H3O + | Oxonium |
Lead(II) | Pb 2+ | |
Lithium | Li + | |
Magnesium | Mg 2+ | |
Manganese(II) | Mn 2+ | Manganous |
Manganese(III) | Mn 3+ | Manganic |
Mercury(I) | Hg2 2+ | Mercurous |
Mercury(II) | Hg 2+ | Mercuric |
Nitronium | NO2 + | |
Potassium | K + | |
Silver | Ag + | |
Sodium | Na + | |
Strontium | Sr 2+ | |
Tin(II) | Sn 2+ | Stannous |
Tin(IV) | Sn 4+ | Stannic |
Zinc | Zn 2+ |
Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Table of Common Cations." ThoughtCo, Jun. 25, 2024, thoughtco.com/common-cations-table-603962. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2024, June 25). Table of Common Cations. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/common-cations-table-603962 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Table of Common Cations." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/common-cations-table-603962 (accessed September 11, 2024).
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