What kind of charge do cations have?

• A. Negative charge
• B. Positive charge
• C. Neutral charge
• D. No charge

Answer: (B)

Cations are positively charged ions because they are formed when an atom loses one or more electrons. Electrons carry negative charge, so removing electrons leaves the atom with more protons than electrons, giving a net positive charge. For example, a sodium atom can lose an electron to become Na+, and calcium can lose two electrons to become Ca2+. The negative charge you might be thinking of describes ions that gain electrons (anions), while neutral describes atoms or molecules with equal numbers of protons and electrons. No charge would mean an overall neutral particle, which isn’t the case for cations.