Is oxygen a cation or an anion?

Understand the Problem

The question is asking whether oxygen is a cation or an anion, which involves understanding the charge of oxygen in its ionic forms. Typically, oxygen forms an anion, known as the oxide ion (O²⁻), by gaining electrons.

More Information

When in its ionic form (O²⁻), oxygen gains two electrons and carries a negative charge, thereby making it an anion.

Tips

Common mistake: confusing the neutral oxygen molecule (O₂) with its ionic form (O²⁻). The neutral molecule has no charge, while the ion is negatively charged.

Sources

• Is oxygen a cation or anion? - Quora - quora.com
• (I'm very new to chemistry) Why do we write O-² (oxygen ion ... - Reddit - reddit.com
• Is oxygen a cation or anion? - ECHEMI - echemi.com