Common Cations and Anions

Name Formula Charge Name Formula Charge Name Formula Charge

3+ 2+
aluminum Al +3 magnesium Mg +2 carbonate CO3 2– –2
+ 2+ –
ammonium NH4 +1 manganese (II) Mn +2 chlorate ClO3 –1
2+ 3+ –
barium Ba +2 manganese (III) Mn +3 chloride Cl –1
mercury (I)
cadmium Cd 2+ +2 (mercurous) Hg2 2+ 2 X +1 chromate CrO4 2– –2
{See note}
mercury (II)
calcium Ca 2+ +2 Hg 2+ +2 cyanate OCN – –1
(mercuric)
cesium Cs + +1 potassium K+ +1 cyanide CN – –1
chromium
Cr 2+ +2 rubidium Rb + +1 dichromate Cr2O7 2– –2
(II)
chromium dihydrogen
Cr 3+ +3 scandium (III) Sc 3+ +3 H2PO4 – –1
(III) phosphate
cobalt (II)
Co 2+ +2 silver Ag + +1 fluoride F– –1
(cobaltous)
cobalt (III)
Co 3+ +3 sodium Na + +1 hydroxide OH – –1
(cobaltic)
tin (II)
cobalt (IV) Co 4+ +4 Sn 2+ +2 iodate IO3 – –1
(stannous)
copper (I) tin (IV)
Cu + +1 Sn 4+ +4 iodide I– –1
(cuprous) (stannic)
copper (II)
Cu 2+ +2 titanium (II) Ti 2+ +2 nitrate NO3 – –1
(cupric)
gold (I)
Au + +1 titanium (III) Ti 3+ +3 nitrite NO2 – –1
(aurous)
gold (III)
Au 3+ +3 titanium (IV) Ti 4+ +4 nitride N 3– –3
(auric)
hydrogen
H+ +1 vanadium (II) V 2+ +2 oxalate C2O4 2– –2
{See note}
hydronium
H3O + +1 vanadium (III) V 3+ +3 oxide O 2– –2
{See note}
iron (II)
Fe 2+ +2 vanadium (IV) V 4+ +4 permanganate MnO4 – –1
(ferrous)
iron (III)
Fe 3+ +3 zinc Zn 2+ +2 phosphate PO4 3– –3
(ferric)
lead (II)
Pb 2+ +2 acetate C2H3O2 – –1 sulfate SO4 2– –2
(plumbous)
bicarbonate
lead (IV)
Pb 4+ +4 (hydrogen HCO3 – –1 sulfite SO3 2– –2
(plumbic)
carbonate)
bisulfate
lithium Li + +1 (hydrogen HSO4 – –1 sulfide S 2– –2
sulfate)
nickel(II)
Ni 2+ +2 bromate BrO3 – –1 thiocyanate SCN – –1
(nickelous)
potassium K+ +1 bromide Br – –1 thiosulfate S2O3 2– –2

A note about hydrogen and hydronium: Rarely does hydrogen ion exist on its own. When H + is written in equations or textbooks, it usually is a simplified
way of saying H3O+. Water, H2O, is constantly breaking up to form trace amounts of hydroxide (OH -) and hydronium (H3O+) ions.

A note about mercury: Mercury (I) ion exists as a diatomic unit.