Hello,
We're studying something about monatomic ions, but first of all I'd like to ask something about ions in general.
Now I'm not so sure what an ion is, am I correct in thinking that an ion is an atom that has lost or gained an electron?
In that case it would be different than an isotope which is an atom with a different number, A, of nucleons, right?
We've started "stability of monatomic ions" today and I'd just like to clear up a few things.
Why must an atom, let's say sodium, Na+, remove one of it's 11 electrons to be stable?
My teacher said that "stable elements" are elements that one finds in nature, e.g. Hydrogen but is sodium a natural chemical element? What about Mg²+?
I understand the business about 1 electrons being moved to another, and how to write that down and stuff, but I don't understand the reason why.
Why must one atom give 1 electron, or more to another atom to be "stable". Is it just to have an even number?
Thanks,
-Xm8