Can someone tell me when I add charges to my balancing equations? I know that you add charges when dealing ionic compounds (metal and nonmental), but what else? Acid?

What exactly do you mean? If you are dealing with an oxidation or reduction reaction and you write the half reactions, you will have electrons added to one side or the other. Otherwise, you only add charges to atoms when they become ions.

No, like in balancing equations when they give me word equations,I would write the equations out correctly but I don't know when to add charges to them.

You have changes ONLY when you have an ion. Atoms are neutral.

Sodium ion + chloride ion ==> NaCl
Na^+ + Cl^- ==> NaCl(s)

sodium + chlorine ==> sodium chloride
2Na + Cl2 ==> 2NaCl

When balancing equations, you add charges to certain compounds depending on their nature. Here's how you determine when to add charges:

1. Ionic Compounds: You are correct that you add charges when dealing with ionic compounds, which consist of a metal and a nonmetal. The charges on the ions help balance the equation. For example, in the compound NaCl (sodium chloride), the sodium ion (Na+) has a positive charge, and the chloride ion (Cl-) has a negative charge.

2. Acidic Solutions: When balancing equations involving acidic solutions, you need to consider the presence of hydrogen ions (H+). Acids release H+ ions in water. To balance the equation, you may need to adjust the number of H+ ions. For example, in the reaction between hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to form salt (NaCl) and water (H2O), you balance the equation by considering the H+ ions from HCl and the OH- ions from NaOH.

3. Polyatomic Ions: In some cases, you may encounter polyatomic ions, which are charged particles made up of two or more atoms. For example, in the compound NH4OH (ammonium hydroxide), the ammonium ion (NH4+) carries a positive charge, and the hydroxide ion (OH-) carries a negative charge. When balancing equations involving polyatomic ions, you need to account for the charges on these ions.

It's important to note that not all chemical reactions require the use of charges. Balancing equations involves adjusting coefficients to ensure that the same number of atoms of each element is present on both sides of the equation. Charges are added specifically for compounds or ions that carry a charge.