Formal Charge and Molecules

[Aiden Metzner 2C]

Does the formal charge of a molecule always equal its ionic charge? In class for the SO4 2- ion the charge was for the whole molecule. Was that just a coincidence or do the formal charges of each individual atom always add up to the formal charge of the molecule?

[BNgo_2L]

The formal charge of each atom always adds up to the charge of the molecule.

[Letty Liu 2C]

It's not a coincidence, the formal charges of each atom should always add up to the ionic charge.

[AnnikaMittelhauser4E]

Also, when adding up the FCs to get the overall molecule charge, it is important to remember that the negative formal charges should be on the more electronegative elements and the positive formal charges on the less electronegative elements.

[Joelle 3L]

It is not a coincidence since the sum of the formal charges in an ion should always equal the charge of the ion.