Asked by Chopsticks

Can someone tell me when I add charges to my balancing equations? I know that you add charges when dealing ionic compounds (metal and nonmental), but what else? Acid?
Answered by DrBob222
What exactly do you mean? If you are dealing with an oxidation or reduction reaction and you write the half reactions, you will have electrons added to one side or the other. Otherwise, you only add charges to atoms when they become ions.
Answered by Chopsticks
No, like in balancing equations when they give me word equations,I would write the equations out correctly but I don't know when to add charges to them.
Answered by DrBob222
You have changes ONLY when you have an ion. Atoms are neutral.
Sodium ion + chloride ion ==> NaCl
Na^+ + Cl^- ==> NaCl(s)

sodium + chlorine ==> sodium chloride
2Na + Cl2 ==> 2NaCl
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