Open Question: How do I determine the number of electrons in an ion? ?
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Lalalala... Member since:March 28, 2011Total points:505 (Level 2)For example, how do I determime the number of electrons in lithium?Can you please explain how you did it, too?Answer Question
by Geno Member since:September 15, 2009Total points:252 (Level 2)Do you mean the charge of an ion? It's all to do with how many valence electrons the atom has. Electrons are arranged in shells around the nucleus. The first shell can hold two electrons, the second 8, the third 8, and so on. Ions are made when an atom loses or gains electrons. They do this in order to achieve a full valence. The valence is the outermost shell of electrons. Ok, so let's look at oxygen. It has an atomic number of 8. This means it has 8 electrons. These electrons are arranged in the following order: 2,6. It fits two on the first shell and puts the rest on it's second shell, which is also its valence. In order to achieve a full valence, this oxygen atom will need to gain 2 electrons (by forming a compound with another atom/s) so it's valence will have 8 electrons, the most it can hold, which will make it full. This oxygen atom will not lose 6 electrons (which would make its first shell its valence, and therefore it would have a full valence, as the first shell can hold 2 electrons) because atoms always do the easiest thing, and it is much easier to gain 2 electrons than lose 6 electrons. Ok, so in a neutral atom, the number of protons is the same as the number of electrons. The oxygen atom has 8 protons. Protons are positive, electrons are negative. When this oxygen atom gains 2 electrons, it will have 10 electrons in total, but the total number of protons remains to be 8. It has 2 more negative charges than it does positive charges, giving it an over all charge of 2-. So the oxygen ion is: O2-. By the way, elements in "group 8" are inert/noble gases. They don't react to form ionic compounds because they already have a full valence. Hope this helps =)
Lalalala... Member since:March 28, 2011Total points:505 (Level 2)For example, how do I determime the number of electrons in lithium?Can you please explain how you did it, too?Answer Question by Geno Member since:September 15, 2009Total points:252 (Level 2)Do you mean the charge of an ion? It's all to do with how many valence electrons the atom has. Electrons are arranged in shells around the nucleus. The first shell can hold two electrons, the second 8, the third 8, and so on. Ions are made when an atom loses or gains electrons. They do this in order to achieve a full valence. The valence is the outermost shell of electrons. Ok, so let's look at oxygen. It has an atomic number of 8. This means it has 8 electrons. These electrons are arranged in the following order: 2,6. It fits two on the first shell and puts the rest on it's second shell, which is also its valence. In order to achieve a full valence, this oxygen atom will need to gain 2 electrons (by forming a compound with another atom/s) so it's valence will have 8 electrons, the most it can hold, which will make it full. This oxygen atom will not lose 6 electrons (which would make its first shell its valence, and therefore it would have a full valence, as the first shell can hold 2 electrons) because atoms always do the easiest thing, and it is much easier to gain 2 electrons than lose 6 electrons. Ok, so in a neutral atom, the number of protons is the same as the number of electrons. The oxygen atom has 8 protons. Protons are positive, electrons are negative. When this oxygen atom gains 2 electrons, it will have 10 electrons in total, but the total number of protons remains to be 8. It has 2 more negative charges than it does positive charges, giving it an over all charge of 2-. So the oxygen ion is: O2-. By the way, elements in "group 8" are inert/noble gases. They don't react to form ionic compounds because they already have a full valence. Hope this helps =)
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