hydrogen sometimes has a charge of zero or (less commonly) -1. Although noble gas atoms almost always carry a charge of zero, these elements do form compounds, which means they can gain or lose electrons and carry a charge.
The charge of an element is equal to the number of protons minus the number of electrons. The number of protons is equal to the atomic number of the element given in the periodic table. The number of electrons is equal to the atomic number minus the charge of the atom.
