What happens when a Sodium Atom becomes a Sodium Ion?
A sodium
atom has 1
electron
in its outer shell.
It is in group 1 of the
periodic table.
When sodium reacts with non-metals
(for example chlorine) it will lose
its outer
electron. Its outer shell will
then have no electrons.
It is as though the outer shell has
vanished. The next shell in is full.
This full inner
shell becomes the new full outer
shell.
The sodium atom
loses its outer
electron to become a sodium
ion.
The sodium ion still has 11 protons (11 positive charges)
but now only 10 electrons
(10 negative charges).
The sodium ion has an extra positive charge, shown by the + sign.
All group 1
metals will form a 1+ ion when they react with
non-metals.
The charge on the ion can also be shown as
and the electron
structure written as [2,
8]+
The charge on the sodium ion will make it react
and form ionic
bonds
with other oppositely
charged ions.
The full outer shell of electrons
does not make the sodium ion
unreactive (see an example).
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