Valency – the combining power of an atom or radical.

Atoms will gain electrons or lose

electrons so as to achieve a stable noble gas structure.
Examples:
 Sodium atom will lose an electron during chemical reaction and form 1 single bond.
Valency of sodium is +1
 Oxygen atom will gain/share 2 electrons during chemical reaction and form 2 single
bonds or a double bond.
Valency of oxygen is -2

Element Group Cation Element Group Anions

Group1 [+1] Group4 [-4]
Lithium Li Li+
Carbon C C4-
Sodium Na Na+ Group5 [-3]
Potassium K K+ Nitrogen N N3-
Group2 [+2] Group6 [-2]
Beryllium Be Be2+
Oxygen O O2-
Magnesium Mg Mg2+ Sulphur S S2-
Calcium Ca Ca2+ Group7 [-1]
Group3 [+3] Fluorine F F-
Aluminium Al Al3+ Chlorine Cl Cl-
Bromine Br Br-

Some Atoms have multiple valencies. There are two common names for the following ions.

ION IUPAC SYSTEM ION IUPAC SYSTEM

2+ 3+
Fe iron II Fe iron III
Cu+ copper l Cu2+ copper II
Au+ gold I Au3+ gold III
Sn2+ tin II Sn4+ tin IV
Pb2+ lead II Pb4+ lead IV
Hg+ mercury I Hg2+ mercury II
Cr2+ chromium II Cr3+ chromium III
Mn2+ manganese II Mn3+ manganese III
RADICALS OR POLYATOMIC IONS
- Consist of group of atoms of more than one kind of element attached by covalent
bonds. They do not often come apart in ionic reactions. The charge on the radical is
for the whole group of atoms as a unit.

Names and charges of some common radicals:

(NH4)+ ammonium

(NO3)- nitrate

(NO2)- nitrite

(SO3)2- sulphite

(SO4)2- sulphate

(PO4)3- phosphate

(HCO3)- hydrogen carbonate

(CO3)2- carbonate

(OH)- hydroxide

(Cr2O7)2- dichromate

(MnO4)- permanganate

Cu+ Copper(I) Cu2+ Copper(II)

Copper(I) oxide Copper(II) chloride
Cu+ O2- Cu2+ Cl-
 Cu2O CuCl2
Fe2+ Iron(II) Fe3+ Iron(III) Fe3+ Iron(III) Fe3+ Iron(III)
Iron(II) chloride Iron(III) chloride Iron(III) oxide Iron(III) sulphate
Fe2+ Cl- Fe3+ Cl- Fe3+ O2- Fe3+ (SO4)2
FeCl2 FeCl3 Fe2O3 Fe2(SO4)3
2- 2- 2-
(SO4) Sulphate (SO3) Sulphite S Sulphide
Sodium sulphate Sodium sulphite Sodium sulphide
Na+ (SO4)2- Na+ (SO3)2- Na+ S2-
Na2SO4 Na2SO3 Na2S
ammonium carbonate H2 O
(NH4)+ (CO3)2 C6H6