Cations and anions are like a superhero team in ionic compounds! Here’s the lowdown on what they do:

Cations (+):

Cations are ions with a positive charge. They happen when an atom loses one or more electrons. You can think of them as the “givers.”

Some common examples are:

• Sodium ($\text{Na}^+$)
• Calcium ($\text{Ca}^{2+}$)

Cations are usually metal ions, and they help keep the compound stable.

Anions (−):

On the other side, we have anions. These are ions with a negative charge because an atom gains electrons. You can think of them as the “takers” in this pair.

Some examples of anions are:

• Chloride ($\text{Cl}^-$)
• Sulfate ($\text{SO}_4^{2-}$)

Interaction:

When cations and anions join forces, they create ionic bonds. These bonds are really strong because of the attraction between the positive and negative charges.

This teamwork leads to the creation of ionic compounds. These compounds are important for many things we know, like table salt and even more complicated minerals.