Chemistry help? Ions?

Question

I'm new to chemistry and my teacher told me to memorize common ions. he gave me a list and here are the first few:

1. Al³ and all IIIA metals

2. Ammonium NH 4

3. Ba² and all IIA metals

4. Bismuth Bi³ , Bi 5

5. Cupric Cu²

6. Cuprous Cu

7. Ferric Fe²

8. Ferrous Fe

9. Hydronium H3O

10. Pb² , Pb 4

11. Hg²

12. Ag

and theres 30 more but im not going to list them

my question is this: what am i supposed to do? what do i memorize? i don't really understand; I'm completely new to all this

please help! but don't make your answer too complicated forme to understand please :)

thanks

Answer 1

He probably just wants you to memorize the names and know how to write them.

Example: Ammonium ion: NH4+

In beginning chemistry this is all my teacher expected of us at first.

Answer 2

I think he wants you to memorize the atom and its charge or oxidation number, which are the same thing when it's an ion.  Oxidation number is the number of electrons and an atom loses when it combines with another atom.  For example, iron, Fe, has two common oxidation states: +2 and +4.  This means, generally, it will lose two or four electrons depending on the other atom it bonds to.