Chemistry

A cation is paws-itive

A cation is positive

Helps you remember a cation carries a positive charge.

✨ Tap to flipA cation is positive

When to use it

Use it when reading an ionic formula to quickly recall that the cation is the positively charged ion written first.

Example

In NaCl, Na⁺ is the cation (positive) and Cl⁻ is the anion (negative).

Common mistake

Confusing cation with anion. Cation sounds like it starts with a c like a cat's claw reaching upward toward positive, while anion sounds like annoy and carries a negative charge.