When ammonium gas is added to water, it readily dissolves and remains as NH. One of the hydrogen atoms leaves water, but laves its electrons behind. The protons of hydrogen then attach to the unbounded electrons on nitrogen to complete its duet. This hydrogen is loosely held to the nitrogen and come off easily. The hydrogen ions in the water are attracted to the negative side of the ammonia molecule where that unbounded pair of electrons is located(you can think of the ammonia as a slightly polar molecule). The ammonium ion is positive because the hydrogen ion contributes on electrons. It is not important to understand why this happens, but rather that the hazards of the compound will be similar to the rest of the oxysalts, i.e , they are oxidizers. This is complex covalent-sharing arrangement and is one of those chemistry concepts that should be accepted rather than explained for the purposes of emergency response. The ammonium ion is show in (Figure 7.4)