....and I need serious help. First of all, I am not asking for answers. I am asking for help. 4 elements are shown. Sodium has one valence electron, Magnesium has 2 valence elctrons, Fluorine has 6 valence electrons, and Boron has 3 valence electrons. Which element is most likely to lose tow electrons and form an ion with a charge of 2+? PLEASE HELP ME!! Or if you can't, give me a link to a website that will. Thanks, and have a happy new year.
2007-01-02 14:21:33 · 6 answers · asked by Precious 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Homework Help
For the dumb ignorant people here, first of all you don't have my teacher. I listen in each and everyone of her classes and I got a's in her class (and all of my other classes except for 1). She did not explain it, and she admitted it. Instead of not giving us the homework, she said USE THE INTERNET. I'm doing what she told us right. Don't write a whole bunch of bs here. If you can't help me in any way, don't say anything.
2007-01-02 14:30:49 · update #1
Okay, if you can't explain everything, just tell me what a valence electron is. I can try to do everything else.
2007-01-02 14:34:19 · update #2
I majored in Chemistry in college, and I will give you a quick rundown of this question that will clarify the question and may help you with similar questions that your teacher throws at you.
First, a little bit of background (I apologize if this is review...I just want to make sure we're on the same page) -- As one of the other posters indicated, the periodic table is organized by number of valence electrons. For example, sodium is in the first column and has 1 valence (aka outermost) electron. Magnesium is in the second column and has 2 valence electrons.
As your teacher may have indicated, electrons want to either give up all of the electrons in the valence or fill up the entire valence (think of it as an "all or nothing" rule). So, magnesium (with its two valence electrons) is likely to give up ALL of its valence electrons.
So, what happens to the charge of magnesium when it gives up its two valence electrons. Well, think of it this way... A normal atom has an equal number of positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons. In the case of a Magnesium atom, it has 11 negatively charged electrons and 11 positively charged protons. When you drop two of those valence electrons, you have 9 negatively charged electrons, and 11 positively charged protons. So, if you add this up, the magnesium ion has a (+11 - 9 = +2) +2 charge.
The quickest way to do these calculations (without all of this adding) is to use the following rule of thumb. Elements in the first column form +1 ions and elements in the second column form +2 ions. Good luck and best wishes!
2007-01-02 15:28:37 · answer #1 · answered by crimsonplume 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Okay...valence electrons are all of the electrons in the outer most shell of the atom. Electrons that are gain or lost happen in the valence shell of the atom. Your question states which atom is more likely to lose two electrons. The word "lose" should clue you in eliminating fluorine, since it's a nonmetal and nonmetals usually don't lose electrons; they gain electrons. A charge of 2+ should clue you in in how many electrons are lost. 2+ means two valence electrons have been lost, so Magnesium must be your answer. Boron could possibly have a 2+ charge, since it has three valence electrons to lose, but it's not a transitional element, so when it loses its electrons USUALLY it will lose all three. Sodium only has one valence electron available to lose; it is unlikely that it will lose a second one, since after losing its single valence electron, all of its energy levels are filled and the octet rule of eight electrons in an energy level has been fulfilled. Magnesium has the greatest chance of losing both of its electrons.
2007-01-02 14:42:10 · answer #2 · answered by Ϡ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look at your periodic table and whatever has 2 valence electrons and is located in family 2 will have a charge of 2+
2007-01-02 14:35:07 · answer #3 · answered by buffy132008 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes homework is given to help you understand or apply that what you have learnt to other situations.
You know about electron cloud and how each atom is trying to get its outer shell full. Somtimes the atom does this by getting electrons to fill the outtermost cloud and sometimes the atom wants to donate electrons so that the outer cloud dissapears and the next cloud becomes tha 'outtermost'.
Apply this principle to the atoms mentiones and see if it helps.
I hope you understand what I have written.
No good? Ask your teacher for help!
Try putting 'electron cloud' , 'donate electron' or some other term in a search engine. That is how to use the internet in homework, not go to 'questions' I have seen many instances where incorrect information has been given and choosen as the best answer! For all you know, this could be the case here.
2007-01-02 14:26:12 · answer #4 · answered by jemhasb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
thats a load of bs you just wernt paying attention dee dee dee!!
2007-01-02 14:25:11 · answer #5 · answered by boris n 2 · 0⤊ 4⤋
dee dee dee cubed
2007-01-02 14:29:17 · answer #6 · answered by KiTtYcAt7 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋