Question

What is the charge on the potassium in KCl?

Answer 1

KCl is a neutral SALT. It is ionic and is usually called a compound, not a molecule.

(Molecule refers to the smallest unit of a covalent bond containing compound. The atoms in KCl undergo ionic bonding.)

Potassium and all the other group IA elementas (lithium, sodium, cesium, rubidium, and francium) almost always have an oxidation state of +1. Chlorine has an oxidation state of -1 unless it is bonded to oxygen or fluorine. So it is a good bet that the potassium has a +1 charge. In solution, represent the potassium as K+ to indicate this charge, though in a compound such as KCl, the charges are not shown since they are balanced.