
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Monatomic ion
Introduction
A monatomic ion is an ion consisting of many of the same atoms. A type I binary ionic compound contains a metal (cation) that forms only one type of ion. A type II ionic compound contains a metal that forms more than one type of ion, i.e., ions with different charges
Common monatomic ions
Common monatomic ions
| Common type I cations | |
|---|---|
| Hydrogen | H+ |
| Lithium | Li+ |
| Sodium | Na+ |
| Potassium | K+ |
| Caesium | Cs+ |
| Beryllium | Be2+ |
| Magnesium | Mg2+ |
| Calcium | Ca2+ |
| Barium | Ba2+ |
| Aluminum | Al3+ |
| Silver | Ag+ |
| Zinc | Zn2+ |
| Common anions | |
|---|---|
| hydride | H− |
| fluoride | F− |
| chloride | Cl− |
| bromide | Br− |
| iodide | I− |
| oxide | O2− |
| sulfide | S2− |
| nitride | N3− |
| phosphide | P3− |
| Common type II cations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Systematic name | Ion | Alternate name |
| iron(III) | Fe3+ | ferric |
| iron(II) | Fe2+ | ferrous |
| copper(II) | Cu2+ | cupric |
| copper(I) | Cu+ | cuprous |
| cobalt(III) | Co3+ | cobaltic |
| cobalt(II) | Co2+ | cobaltous |
| tin(IV) | Sn4+ | stannic |
| tin(II) | Sn2+ | stannous |
| lead(IV) | Pb4+ | plumbic |
| lead(II) | Pb2+ | plumbous |
| mercury(II) | Hg2+ | mercuric |
| mercury(I) | Hg22+* | mercurous |
*note that mercury (I) ions always occur bound together to form Hg2.
