Whats the charge on a carbon cation??
I believe it is a positive charge, but does it have a number along with it?? not sure..
You are correct that a carbon cation carries a positive charge. However, the specific number of the charge depends on how many electrons the carbon atom has lost.
To determine the charge on a carbon cation, you need to know the number of valence electrons in a carbon atom. Carbon, as an element, has four valence electrons.
When a carbon atom loses one electron, it forms a carbon cation with a positive charge. In this case, the charge of the carbon cation is +1.
If a carbon atom loses two electrons, it forms a carbon cation with a charge of +2. Similarly, if it loses three electrons, the charge would be +3, and so on.
So, the charge on a carbon cation can vary depending on the number of electrons lost, but it is always positive.