Name TiCl3 and TiCl4.
Chloride is -1. Three chlorides → titanium(III) chloride (Ti3+); four chlorides → titanium(IV) chloride (Ti4+, a liquid used to make smoke screens and, oddly, cultured pearls' iridescence).
What Is the Charge of Titanium?
Titanium commonly forms Ti3+ Ti4+ in introductory ionic compounds.
Titanium's dominant charge is +4 — TiO2, the brilliant white of paint, sunscreen, and powdered donuts, holds it. Ti3+ is the main alternative, giving violet solutions, and Ti2+ exists but is rare enough to skip in intro courses.
| Element | Titanium |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Ti |
| Atomic number | 22 |
| Common ionic charge | +3, +4 |
| Common ions | Ti3+, Ti4+ |
Visual reference
Titanium element image and atomic model
Images are used as visual references; charge rules still depend on the compound.
Where Titanium's charge options come from
Titanium is [Ar]3d2 4s2 with four electrons available. Giving up all four reaches the stable argon core, so +4 is the favorite; keeping one d electron gives the +3 state. The +4 state's stability is why TiO2 is so inert you can safely eat it.
This is a classroom reference range, not an exhaustive list of all oxidation states.
The trap in Titanium problems
Writing titanium(IV) oxide as TiO4. The Roman numeral gives the charge, not the subscript count: Ti4+ with O2- crosses to TiO2 — one titanium, two oxides.
Worked example: Ti in a formula problem
Ti3+ and Ti4+ in real compounds
TiCl3
Titanium chloride
Ti3+ balances chloride ions.
Ti2O3
Titanium oxide
Titanium can form oxides where total positive and negative charge balances.
Questions students ask about titanium
What charge does titanium have in a hip implant?
Zero — implants are metallic titanium, prized because a passive TiO2 film (titanium +4) instantly coats the surface and makes the metal invisible to the body's chemistry.
Why is TiO2 in sunscreen if titanium can change charges?
In TiO2 titanium is already at its maximum +4 — it cannot be oxidized further, which is why it sits chemically silent on your skin while scattering UV light.
Is Ti3+ stable in air?
Not for long. Violet Ti3+ solutions slowly bleach as oxygen drags titanium up to +4 — a classic demonstration that lower transition-metal states often 'want' to climb.
How do I use this charge in formulas?
Combine positive and negative ions so the total charge is zero — or let the ionic compound calculator do the crossing for you. The full chart lives on the periodic table with charges.
Where this data comes from
Charges and element facts on this page are checked against the primary references below. Found an error? Email hello@periodictablewithcharges.com — corrections ship in the next content update. See how this site is edited.