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Ions

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Ions

  • Most substances are electrically neutral
  • They have the same number of positive and negative charges

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#p+ = #e-

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Ions

  • Sometimes a neutral atom will either gain or lose electrons from the outermost energy level or shell
  • When an atom loses or gains an electron, it is called an

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Ions

  • If a neutral atom loses an electron it becomes a positive ion
  • A positive ion is also known as a

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  • If a neutral ion gains an electron it becomes a negative ion
  • A negative ion is called an

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Ions

  • Ions are written with the symbol of the element, and a + or – sign

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Sodium becomes a positive ion » Na+

Chlorine becomes a negative ion » Cl-

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Ions

  • Sometimes two or more atoms combine to form a complex ion called a

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Examples include:

PO4-3 CO3-2 C2O4+2

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Ionic Trends on The Periodic Table