fogonthedowns · October 3, 2014 01:50
diff --git a/gistfile1.txt b/gistfile1.txt
 NH4 is (+1) (Oxidation number of N in NH4+ is -3 Oxidation number of each H in NH4+ is +1)
 Ce is +3
 SO4 is -2 ( Oxidation number of S is +6 and O is -2 in SO4)
 You have 2 polyatomic ions in this. NH4 and SO4
 NH4 is +1 (you will probably have to memorize common ions and this is very common.) Since NH4 is +1 you can look at each element individually. H is in group 1 (look across the periodic table. There are 8 long columns. Elements in group 1 tend to lose an electron. That makes them a positive number since they will have more protons than electrons. That would mean H is +1. N is in group 5. It usually is going to either lose 5 or gain 3. (All want 8 except for H and He that want 2). N must be negative to balance out the ion. Since H is +1 and you can see in NH4 that there are 4H's that means you have +4 for all the H in the ion. The ion totally is +1. 4 - 1= 3 So N gains electrons and is -3. 
 SO4 is a poly atomic ion that is -2. O and S are both in group 6. That means they want to lose 6 or gain 6. O is going to be the negative, because you have 4. (It would not be +6 times 4.) If it is -2 times the 4 in the ion that gives you -8. The ion is -2 and all the O's equal -8. 8-2=6, so the S loses electrons and is +6. 
 Now for the Ce. Since NH4 is +1 and you have 2 that gives them total of +2. Since SO4 is -2 and you have 3 that gives them a total of -6. The compound must completely balance. (Same number of positives as negatives). 
 NH4=+2 and SO4 = -6 so 6-2=4. Ce has to be +4

 Short hand for each element
 N -3 H +1 Ce +4 S +6 O -2
 or in your format 
 -3 +1 +4 +6 -2
	NH4 is (+1) (Oxidation number of N in NH4+ is -3 Oxidation number of each H in NH4+ is +1)
	Ce is +3
	SO4 is -2 ( Oxidation number of S is +6 and O is -2 in SO4)
	You have 2 polyatomic ions in this. NH4 and SO4
	NH4 is +1 (you will probably have to memorize common ions and this is very common.) Since NH4 is +1 you can look at each element individually. H is in group 1 (look across the periodic table. There are 8 long columns. Elements in group 1 tend to lose an electron. That makes them a positive number since they will have more protons than electrons. That would mean H is +1. N is in group 5. It usually is going to either lose 5 or gain 3. (All want 8 except for H and He that want 2). N must be negative to balance out the ion. Since H is +1 and you can see in NH4 that there are 4H's that means you have +4 for all the H in the ion. The ion totally is +1. 4 - 1= 3 So N gains electrons and is -3.
	SO4 is a poly atomic ion that is -2. O and S are both in group 6. That means they want to lose 6 or gain 6. O is going to be the negative, because you have 4. (It would not be +6 times 4.) If it is -2 times the 4 in the ion that gives you -8. The ion is -2 and all the O's equal -8. 8-2=6, so the S loses electrons and is +6.
	Now for the Ce. Since NH4 is +1 and you have 2 that gives them total of +2. Since SO4 is -2 and you have 3 that gives them a total of -6. The compound must completely balance. (Same number of positives as negatives).
	NH4=+2 and SO4 = -6 so 6-2=4. Ce has to be +4

	Short hand for each element
	N -3 H +1 Ce +4 S +6 O -2
	or in your format
	-3 +1 +4 +6 -2