What is the charge of the ammonia compound (NH3)?

The correct answer is that the charge of the ammonia compound (NH3) is zero. In a neutral molecule like ammonia, the overall charge is determined by the sum of the oxidation states of its constituent atoms.

In ammonia, nitrogen is the central atom and typically has an oxidation state of -3 in this compound. Each hydrogen atom has an oxidation state of +1. Therefore, when you calculate the total charge for NH3, you have one nitrogen atom contributing -3 and three hydrogen atoms contributing a total of +3.

When you add these oxidation states together:

-3 (from nitrogen) + 3 (from three hydrogens) = 0.

Since the overall charge is zero, ammonia is a neutral molecule. This concept is fundamental in understanding molecular structures and their properties in chemistry. The other options reflect charges that do not correspond to the neutral state of ammonia, which is why they are not correct.