What's an Ion?

Summary

In this episode, the concept of ions is introduced by exploring atoms, particularly focusing on sodium and oxygen. The script explains how atoms gain or lose electrons to form ions, such as the sodium ion (Na+) and the oxide ion (O2-). The discussion delves into how the loss or gain of electrons affects an atom's charge, leading to the formation of cations (positive ions) and anions (negative ions). It also touches on polyatomic ions, which consist of groups of atoms with a charge. The video serves as an insightful introduction to the behavior of atoms and ions in chemistry.

Takeaways

• 😀 Atoms are made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons, with the nucleus containing protons and neutrons, while electrons orbit in energy shells.
• 😀 A neutral atom has a balanced number of protons and electrons, resulting in no overall charge.
• 😀 Sodium (Na) can lose an electron, turning it into a positively charged ion (Na+), which has one more proton than electrons.
• 😀 Sodium's electron configuration shows that the first two shells are full, but the third shell has one lone electron, which can be lost to form an ion.
• 😀 When an atom loses an electron, it becomes a cation (positively charged ion), as seen with sodium losing an electron.
• 😀 Oxygen (O) has eight electrons and often gains two electrons to fill its second shell, turning it into an anion (O2-) with a negative charge.
• 😀 Oxygen gains electrons to become a negatively charged ion (O2-) because it has more electrons than protons.
• 😀 An ion is defined as an atom or group of atoms with an overall charge, either positive (cation) or negative (anion).
• 😀 Cations are positively charged ions, while anions are negatively charged ions.
• 😀 Polyatomic ions are groups of atoms bonded together with a charge, such as nitrate (NO3-) and sulfate (SO4 2-).
• 😀 A neutral atom can become an ion by either losing electrons (to become a cation) or gaining electrons (to become an anion).

Q & A

What is the basic structure of an atom as discussed in the transcript?

An atom is made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons. The protons and neutrons are located in the nucleus at the center, while the electrons orbit around the nucleus in energy shells.

How does a sodium atom become a sodium ion?

A sodium atom becomes a sodium ion by losing one electron from its outermost energy shell. This results in a positive charge since the atom now has more protons (positive) than electrons (negative).

Why does sodium lose its outermost electron?

Sodium loses its outermost electron because the first and second energy shells are already full, and the third shell, which holds this electron, is less stable with only one electron in it.

What is the charge of a sodium ion after it loses an electron?

After losing one electron, the sodium ion has a positive charge of +1, as it has one more proton than electrons.

What symbol represents a sodium ion, and how is it written?

The sodium ion is represented as Na+, where the '+' symbol indicates the positive charge of the ion.

How does an oxygen atom become an oxygen ion?

An oxygen atom becomes an oxygen ion by gaining two electrons to fill its second energy shell, resulting in a negative charge because it now has more electrons than protons.

What is the charge of an oxygen ion after it gains electrons?

The oxygen ion has a charge of -2 after gaining two electrons, as it now has two more negative charges than positive protons.

What does the 'IDE' suffix mean when referring to an ion, like in 'oxide'?

The 'IDE' suffix is used to indicate that a nonmetal atom, like oxygen, has become an ion after gaining electrons. In this case, the oxygen ion is called 'oxide.'

What is the definition of an ion?

An ion is defined as an atom or group of atoms that has a charge, which can either be positive (cation) or negative (anion), depending on whether electrons are lost or gained.

What are polyatomic ions and how are they formed?

Polyatomic ions are ions made up of more than one atom, which are connected together as a group. This group of atoms has a charge, either positive or negative. Examples include nitrate (NO3-) and sulfate (SO4 2-).