Question

Are radicals and charges the same? How charges are given on any element or compound?

Answer 1

Hint: An electron carries a negative charge while a proton carries a positive charge. Radicals are uncharged species. If a species has equal number of electrons and protons it means that species is neutral and does not carry any charge on it.

Complete answer:
Radical and charges are not the same. Radical is any atom, ion or molecule that has an unpaired electron, due the presence of these unpaired electrons radicals becomes chemically reactive. Radicals may be generated in a number of ways, but typical methods involve redox reactions. Ionizing radiation, heat, electrical discharges, and electrolysis are known to produce radicals. Radicals are intermediates in many chemical reactions, more so than is apparent from the balanced equations. An ion carries charge on them. Cation carries positive charge while anion carries negative charge whereas radical does not carry any charge as it has equal number of protons and electrons in them, it has an unpaired electron. To calculate the charge of an ion. The atomic number of the ion will be equal to the number of protons in it. If an ion loses two electrons then its charge is +2. If the atom receives an electron then its charge is -1. Generally Groups IA, IIA and IIIA all lose electrons and become positively charged. Groups VA, VIA and VIIA all gain electrons and become negatively charged.

Note:
Losing and gaining of electrons on any species defines a charge on them. If a species loses an electron it will become positively charged and form a cation whereas if a species gains an electron it will become negatively charged and forms an anion.