Question

Why do cations and anions have to cancel each other out in an ionic compound?

a) Because it results in a stable compound.
b) To maintain electrical neutrality.
c) To increase the compound's solubility.
d) It's not necessary for ionic compounds.

Answer 1

Ionic compounds must have cations and anions that cancel each other out to maintain electrical neutrality.

Step-by-step explanation:

In every ionic compound, the total number of positive charges of the cations equals the total number of negative charges of the anions. Thus, ionic compounds are electrically neutral overall, even though they contain positive and negative ions. The formula of an ionic compound must have a ratio of ions such that the numbers of positive and negative charges are equal.