![]() Salt’s ions will collect to form a giant, three-dimensional structure known as a lattice. This means that sodium chloride has a high melting and boiling point. (No number appears with the superscript when an atom gains or loses a single electron.) The ionic compound formed between sodium and chloride ions is called sodium chloride. One sodium atom (Na) gives a single electron to a chlorine atom (Cl). The most well-known example of an ionic compound is table salt. Bonded cations and anions make up ionic compounds. jack0m/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty ImagesĬhemical bonds forged by this attraction are ionic bonds. Each sodium ion (Na +) is held in place by its attraction to chloride ions (Cl –) and vice-versa, through ionic bonds. This is an artist’s depiction of the lattice structure that makes up table salt. When it forms its most common ion, oxygen gains two electrons to become the “oxide anion.” Chemists denote this by adding a 2-minus on the upper right side (O 2-). The size of that charge depends on how many electrons it gained.įor example, an oxygen atom starts with eight protons and eight electrons. Atoms that gain electrons are known as anions (AN-eye-uns). Some ions get slightly modified names when compared to their former status as an atom. Because the number of protons hasn’t changed, the atom is no longer electrically neutral. That balance makes the atoms electrically neutral.īut chemical reactions sometimes throw off that electrical balance by robbing one or more of an atom’s electrons or by getting an atom to hold one or more extra electrons. Atoms of the same element always have equal numbers of protons and electrons. Protons have a positive electrical charge. Each is made of at least two types of smaller particles: protons and electrons. In this animated video tutorial, you will learn about ions and charges, how to assign charges to monoatomic and polyatomic ions, and the difference between ionic compounds and molecular compounds.Atoms are the smallest particles with distinct chemical properties. Video tutorial – Ions, Polyatomic Ions, and Ionic Compounds You can read about naming ionic compounds, and naming covalent compounds. ![]() Learning how to properly name compounds like these is important. BeBr 2 – (berylliuim bromide) cation: Be 2+, anion: Br –.K 2S – (potassium sulfide) cation: K +, anion: S 2.Mg(OH) 2 – (magnesium hydroxide) cation: Mg 2+, anion: OH –.LiF – (lithium fluoride) cation: Li +, anion: F –.NaCl – (sodium chloride) cation: Na +, anion: Cl –.For example, in NaBr, sodium is the cation, while bromine is the anion. When writing the chemical formula of a compound, cation always comes before anion. Most metals (e.g., iron, lead, gold) form cations, whereas most nonmetals (e.g., oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur) form anions. In contrast, Group 17A, which consists of halogens, always forms anions. Group 1A and 2A of the periodic table, alkali metals and alkaline earth metals respectively, always form cations. Whether an atom forms a cation or an anion depends on its position on the periodic table. Predicting Cations and Anions based on the Periodic Table Ions like hydroxide, dichromate, sulfate, and ammonium that contain more than one type of element are called polyatomic ions and are discussed in more detail in another article. Because electrons are added to form an anion, the anion of an atom is bigger than the neutral atom.Įxamples of anions include the following: What is an anion? An anion is an ion that has gained one or more electrons, giving a net negative charge. Because one or more electrons are removed to form a cation, the cation of an atom is smaller than the neutral atom.Įxamples of cations include the following: What is a cation? A cation is an ion that has lost one or more electrons, giving a net positive charge. There are two types of ions: cations and anions.Ī cation has a net positive electrical charge, which means it has more protons than electrons.Īn anion has a net negative electrical charge, which means it has more electrons than protons. Ions are identified by a superscript that shows the sign and size of the electric charge – for example Ca +2. Ions form when atoms move into a more stable electron configuration. They contain different numbers of protons and electrons. The definition of an ion is a particle, atom, or molecule with an imbalance of electrical charge. Introduction to Ions, Cations and Anions What is an Ion? What are ions? In this tutorial, you will learn about the properties, differences, and examples of ions, cations and anions, as well as how to predict them based on their positions on the periodic table.
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