Why is there H+ and H- ions when hydrogen has only one electron?

Question

WHY?

there only one proton and one electron in each H atom.

Answer 1

Hydrogen does have one electron.

In the first atomic shell it is full then it reaches 2 electron.

Then an extra electron is added it is H- and the shell has 2 electron and hence it is stable.

Then an electron is taken away it become H+ and has no electrons in the shell.

Answer 2

Hydrogen can give up an electron, leaving it as a single proton with a positive charge (of it is deuterium or tritium, the isotopes of Hydrogen with one or two neutrons, then it will work the same way.)


So, the common way for this to happen would be like this: H2O would split apart to form two ions. One negatively charged ion would be the Oxygen atom plus one hydrogen (OH-). That is called a hydroxide ion. The other hydrogen from the H2O would be postively charged, but it would glom onto another water molecule so that you get a hydronium ion (H3O +)

When the H2O is together, the electrons are not exactly shared equally between the whole complex. The hydrogen atoms would be sticking out on one side, and the other side would be the back of the oxygen atom, if you follow me. SO the back of the oxygen would be more negative and the hydrogen side more positive. That's what he meant by a dipole.

Answer 3

The information I find here is of great interest. The theoretical verses the factual. I join the debate in suggesting a theory of my own. In regards to the Hydrogen atom having one Proton/Electron/Neutron. The fact that one electron is what it is, is both negative and positive. (Please jump in and present your arguments.) Two negatives equal a positive and two positives equal a positive. It is an apparent contradiction, not so when in reality the end result is a repulsion as in an association with the behavior of magnetic fields. An ion is theoretically an atom of an element having one less electron of any atomically defined element. The question presented deals with the fact that Hydrogen only has (1) electron and therefore can not give up the electron. If it was possible then the "H" atom would cease to exist and we would have a contradiction in that "now we have destroyed energy." I accept the concept that energy can not be created nor destroyed and I find myself defending it. In order to understand the ION hypotheses is with open mind that the negative and the positive is a behaviour property and Not the loss of the electron.
The question as presented is both H- & H+. The present theory of electrons exchanging electrons is not possible. Atoms are atoms in accordance with their repective weights and numbers. To lose one Electron for just an instant in time would upset the Universe.
This gives me a tangent that what is identifable as an ION is in the realm of antimatter.A Nobel prize has already been awarded in this area of Theoritcal Physics.
I presented to Science the 2,000 word document which explains the Cosmological Constant with no recognition of it's content and no critacism either. Ignoring facts do not hide the facts of truth. They still exist.
The hypostasis is clear. Subpartical mass is the power of the Helix, the power of &. For every negative there is the positive throughout.

Answer 4

Hydrogen in its atomic state is not charged at all. It becomes positively charged when it gives up its only electron, thus making it positively charged since you basically just have a proton left (there are no neutrons in Hydrogen, not that it matters since neutrons have no charge anyway). If Hydrogen accepts an electron from another atom (usually under specific conditions where hydrogen acts as an acid) it will accept an electron thus rendering it negatively charged since the negative charge from its first electron counteracts the positive charge of its proton and since there is one electron left it causes the atom to be positively charged (1-1-1 = -1).

Answer 5

That's because H+ and H- don't have one electron. Hydrogen can exist in several forms besides H2 gas. See below.

H has a 1s valence shell as we all know. It CAN house up to 2 electrons at once.

When H has zero electrons in the 1s shell, i.e. is nothing but the nucleus (i.e. a proton), it is H+. (This species is usually associated with water in solution, as H3O+ or hydronium).

When H has 1 electron, it is neutral (1p and 1e "cancel" each other's charge), and the species is H(dot), a radical.

When H has 2 electrons, it is H- or "hydride". This is useful in a number of redox, and in synthetic organic situations, as this species is a good reducing agent.

That help?

Answer 6

Hydrogen atom has one electron.

H+ (proton) means the electron is missing or lost (taken), so the formal charge is calculated to be 1- (0/2) - 0=+1

H- (hydride) means H atom gains one more electron so the formal charge is now calculated to be 1- (0/2) -2 = -1

Answer 7

sure,...so if the sole electron left goes away too,leaving the proton alone,it is called the +H ion....and if one electron gets added(to form a stable duplet structure like that of helium) it becomes -H ion....positivilty n negativity depend upon what charges are more in the atom...if the protons(+ve) are more than the -ve (electrons) then there will be a net positive charge and vice versa

Answer 8

by hydrogen bonding if hydroen shares its lone electron with a neighbouring atom say oxygen it will create a di-pole on the other end of the atom making it a positively chareged ion and vice-versa

Answer 9

when an electron is added bcuz of bonding it becums H- and when it gives away an electron only the nucleus is left and it will be H+

Answer 10

because of its electronic configrataion...it can either loose one or can gain one to complete its outer shell and each element in perodic table has tendency to complete its outer shell...i hope u got it!!