3.3.1 Ion formation Flashcards
Why do metal atoms form metal ions?
Metal atoms tend to lose all their outer shell electrons to get a full outer shell. When this happens, they become positively charged ions and they are more stable.
What is oxidation (electrons)?
The loss of electrons is called oxidation
How do non-metal atoms become non-metal ions?
Non-metal atoms tend to gain electrons to fill their outer shell. When this happens, they become negatively charged ions and are more stable.
What is reduction (electrons)?
The gain of electrons is called reduction
What happens when metals and non-metals react?
When metals and non-metals react, the metal atoms give electrons to the non-metal atoms. Every atom ends up forming an ion with a stable full outer shell.
Describe, in terms of electronic configuration, what happens when lithium and oxygen react?
The Li atoms need to lose 1 electron. The O atoms need to gain 2 electrons. So there needs to be 2 Li atoms for every O atom. The Li atoms are oxidised to become Li ions because they lose 1 electron and have a charge of 1+. The O atoms are reduced to become O ions because they gain 2 electrons and have a charge of 2+.
How do groups and ion charges interact?
Atoms in the same group have the same number of electrons on the outer shells and therefore need to gain/lose the same number of electrons to get a full outer shell. This means they form ions with the same charge.
