Monatomic ions predicting charges

We do not really need oxidation numbers when working with compounds of monatomic ions we can use the charges to write formulas, and we can predict the charges from the periodic table or deduce them from the formulas. When working with compounds with covalent bonds and polyatomic ions (which also... 

Some of the elements have electron configurations that differ slightly from what our general procedure would lead us to predict. You can read more about these at the textbook s Web site. The Web site also shows you how to predict charges on monatomic ions and how to write their electron configurations. 

The simplest ions are monatomic. A monatomic ion is an ion formed from a single atom. Table 2.4 lists common monatomic ions of the main-group elements. You may want to look at the table while you read first the rules for predicting the charges on such ions and then the rules for naming the monatomic ions. 

The periodic table helps chemists describe and predict the properties of chemical compounds and the outcomes of chemical reactions. Throughout this text, we will use it as an aid to understanding chemical concepts. One application of the table worth mentioning here is how it can be used to predict likely charges on simple monatomic ions. 

---