suggest why sodium exists as na+ and not na2+ in its compounds?

Answer 1

in the na+ form it has a full outer shell of electrons and is stable if it lost 2 electrons and therefore became na2+ it would not be stable as it would have an incomplete outer shell

Answer 2

The Sodium ion exists as Na+ because Sodium has 11 (eleven) electron s around its nucleus.
These eleven electrons are arranged in three energy shells.
the inner shell has two (2) electrons
The next shell has eight (8) electrons
and the outer most shell has one (1) electron.
As the innermost electrons are closest to the nucleus they are held to the nucleus most strongly,
Hence the outermost electrons is held to the nucleus the least strongly - it is the most energetic.
Hence not much energy is required for the outer most electron to leave the atom.
This results in the atom having a nucleus of eleven protons and the electron energy shells with only ten electrons.
So there is one more positive charge overall in the atom - it is now an ION. So it is written as Na+.

Sodium can be made to ionise a second electron, but it requires a huge amount of energy, because the second electron is being removed from the next energy shell of eight electrons - complete octet. Hence on losing a second electron the sodium ion would be written as Na2+.

Answer 3

Sodium has three "shells" of electrons, one inside the other. the first shell has two electrons, sharing a spherical cloud shape, with one in each spin direction. The second cloud is shaped like a man with his legs spread to the sides, and his arms reaching forward and backward. It has eight electrons, four in each spin direction.

The final, eleventh electron, is the lonely, only occupant of the outermost four-limbed shell. It has no spin-complementary partner. This distant, unbalanced electron can be removed against the electrostatic pull of the positive nucleus relatively easily, because electric force decreases with the square of the distance. It leaves behind a relatively more balanced set of filled shells. In joining with a partner atom, it forms the final, balancing, filling partner in the nearly complete outer shell of, for instance, a flourine, chlorine or bromine.

To make a "Na++" ion, not only would you have to remove a negative electron from the already-positive Na+ ion, but you would be unbalacing the spin, and disrupting the stable eight members, of the second, filled electron shell of the Na+ ion.

Answer 4

Sodium has a valence of one, meaning that it has one electron in its outer electron shell. In compounds, atoms like to have a complete outer shell. Therefore, sodium prefers to give up it's one electron, leaving it with a charge of +1.

If it were to become Na+2, it would remove one electron from a full outer shell, which is not stable.

Answer 5

Was off the day they did chemistry...but if you dip molten sodium (careful!) in a jar of O2, you get Disodiumdioxide (I think) or Na2O2. This is still effectively 1e from each Na atom to the doubly ionised O2 mol, but in the reduced formula it is as if Na has valence 2.
Under exotic coditions of high pressure you may even obtain NaO2..sort of sodium hyperperoxide! Don't know if this invloves just the 3s electron in the sodium atom or not?

Answer 6

Sodium, like other group one metals, only has ONE valenece electron. Therefore, in ionic compounds, it only loses ONE electron taking its charge from 0 to +1. If it were to lose two electrons (as in Na2+) it would have to take an electron from the 2p orbital which, frankly, will not happen!

Answer 7

The outer electron shell in atomic sodium is an s-orbital with one electron, this is more stable when either empty or full (with two electrons) Losing one electrons gives an empty shell.

The next shell down is another s orbital, again this is most stable when empty or full, as it is full losing one electrons results in an unstable configuration.

I think this is the pauli exclusion principle but can't be bothered looking it up to check

Answer 8

Na is a group 1 element (alkali metal). It only has 1 valence electron to lose. On the contrary, Ca is a group 2 element (alkaline eath metal). It has 2 valence electrons so it is Ca2+.

Answer 9

I believe it is because It would only have 2 if it had 2 molecules H20 is 2 hydrogen molecules and 1 oxygen molecule. If it only has 1 molecule, then it would only be written as Na.

Answer 10

this is because the valance of Sodium is 1. its electronic configuration is 2.8.1 and thus it gets rid of that 1 extra. because it gives it becomes a positive ion.