Cations have a positive charge. They are formed from metals, which lie on the left side of the periodic table. The main group (Groups 1-8) metals form cations with a single, fixed charge. The charge is the same as the Group (column) number on the periodic table. The cation name is formed by adding the word “ion” after the element name. For example, the element sodium (Na) is found in Group 1. It ionizes to form the “sodium ion” represented as Na+. The charge is +1 because it is in Gro...
