Ammonium ion

$NH_4^+$

Charge: 1+ · Type: Polyatomic cation · Molar mass: 18.039 g/mol

Made of: nitrogen, hydrogen

How it forms

Ammonia (NH3) accepts a proton from an acid to become NH4+. The ion has a tetrahedral shape, and all four N-H bonds are identical.

NH4+ is the ammonium ion. Salts are named as ammonium compounds (ammonium chloride), and the ion behaves chemically like an alkali metal ion.