SCF-MO computations were employed in a study of picric acid, the –1 picrate ion, and Li, Na, and K picrates. Atomic coordinates from crystallographic structural analyses were used as initial parameters in the computation of the minimum-energy conformations of each free molecule at the 6-31G level. The Mulliken charge numbers for each atom in the optimized model molecules were calculated at the 6-31G** level. The induction and resonance effects of the OX group (X = H, Li, Na, K) on the trinitrophenyl ring are discussed. It is demonstrated that molecular (electron) isodensity surfaces (MIDCOs) describe charge-density results nicely compatible with the point Mulliken charge numbers. Key words: picrates, SCF-MO, charge distribution.