Chemistry / Unit 6 Chem 0963 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Ionic Compound Formula from Charge Balance
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The idea
An ionic compound's formula uses the smallest whole-number ratio of cations to anions that makes the compound's total charge zero.
In practice
Calcium's 2+ charge and chloride's 1− charge combine in a 1:2 ratio, giving the formula CaCl2.
Where people slip
Balancing charge to zero sets the formula's subscripts — it does not describe how many ions physically touch in the crystal.
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