Understanding how ions form is an essential aspect of chemistry that involves electron configurations.
An ion is an atom or molecule that has a net electrical charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons. Cations are positively charged ions, which occur when an atom loses electrons. Conversely, anions are negatively charged ions, resulting from the gain of electrons.
- For cations, we subtract the positive charge from the atomic number to determine the number of electrons left in the ion.
- For anions, we add the negative charge to the atomic number to find the total number of electrons.
Understanding this is crucial when predicting the properties of substances and for explaining reactivity and trends in the periodic table.