Ions

Front

What is an ion?

Back

An ion is an atom or molecule that has a net electrical charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons.

Front

What is a cation?

Back

A cation is a positively charged ion that is formed when an atom loses one or more electrons.

Front

What is an anion?

Back

An anion is a negatively charged ion that is formed when an atom gains one or more electrons.

Front

How do you determine the charge of an ion based on valence electrons?

Back

The charge of an ion can be determined by the number of valence electrons: atoms with 1-3 valence electrons tend to lose electrons and form cations, while atoms with 5-7 valence electrons tend to gain electrons and form anions.

Front

What charge does a fluorine ion have?

Back

A fluorine ion has a charge of -1 because it gains one electron to achieve a full outer shell.

Front

How many electrons does a nitrogen ion gain or lose if it has 5 valence electrons?

Back

A nitrogen ion gains 3 electrons to achieve a full outer shell.

Front

What happens to the charge of an atom when it loses electrons?

Back

When an atom loses electrons, it becomes positively charged.

Front

What happens to the charge of an atom when it gains electrons?

Back

When an atom gains electrons, it becomes negatively charged.

Front

If an element has 3 valence electrons, what charge will it likely form?

Back

It will likely form a +3 charge by losing 3 electrons.

Front

What is the octet rule?

Back

The octet rule states that atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a full outer shell of 8 electrons.