So....
The sum of the oxidation states of all the atoms or ions in a neutral compound is zero.
However, I also read that:
The sum of the oxidation states of all the atoms in an ion is equal to the charge on the ion
Let us say then we have the ionic compound Hydrochloric acid.
HCL
H = 1 and CL = -1 so together they give us 0. That satisfies the 1st rule and would also satisfy the 2nd rule because the overall charge of the ion is 0?
Am I intrepreting/applying the rules correctly?