The conservation of charge is a fundamental principle in chemistry that states that the total electric charge in a closed system remains constant. In chemical reactions, the total positive charge must equal the total negative charge.
Related terms
Ion: An ion is an atom or molecule that has gained or lost electrons, resulting in a net positive or negative charge.
Electronegativity: Electronegativity is a measure of how strongly an atom attracts shared electrons towards itself in a covalent bond.
Polyatomic Ion: A polyatomic ion is a charged species composed of two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds.