Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 2: Problem 84

(a) Which elements are most likely to form ionic compounds? (b) Which metallic elements are most likely to form cations with different charges?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The elements most likely to form ionic compounds are those in Groups 1, 2 and 17 due to their propensity to form cations or anions, respectively. The transition metals are most likely to form cations with different charges as they can lose electrons from both the s and d orbitals.

Step by step solution

01

Identify likely ionic compound formers

The elements that are most likely to form ionic compounds are those that readily form positive cations or negative anions. These tend to be metals (which form cations) and nonmetals (which form anions). Specifically, elements in Groups 1 and 2 (alkali metals and alkaline earth metals), and Group 17 (halogens) are most likely to form ionic compounds.
02

Identify elements likely to form cations with different charges

The metallic elements most likely to form cations with different charges are the transition metals. This is due to their unique electronic configurations where the d and s orbitals can both be involved in losing electrons. For example, iron (Fe) can form both Fe\(^{2+}\) and Fe\(^{3+}\) cations.
03

Conclusion

Based on the understanding of the principles of the periodic table and atomic structures, it's concluded that the elements in Groups 1, 2 and 17 are most likely to form ionic compounds due to their tendency to lose or gain electrons and become positive cations and negative anions respectively. Furthermore, transition metals, due to their unique electronic configurations, are the metallic elements most likely to form cations with different charges.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

One isotope of a nonmetallic element has mass number 127 and 74 neutrons in the nucleus. The anion derived from the isotope has 54 electrons. Write the symbol for this anion.

Give two examples of each of the following: (a) a diatomic molecule containing atoms of the same element, (b) a diatomic molecule containing atoms of different elements, (c) a polyatomic molecule containing atoms of the same element, (d) a polyatomic molecule containing atoms of different elements.

The diameter of a helium atom is about \(1 \times 10^{2} \mathrm{pm}\). Suppose that we could line up helium atoms side by side in contact with one another. Approximately how many atoms would it take to make the distance from end to end \(1 \mathrm{~cm} ?\)

Fill the blanks in the following table. $$ \begin{array}{|l|l|l|l|} \hline \text { Cation } & \text { Anion } & \text { Formula } & \text { Name } \\\ \hline & & & \text { Magnesium bicarbonate } \\ \hline & & \mathrm{SrCl}_{2} & \\ \hline \mathrm{Fe}^{3+} & \mathrm{NO}_{2}^{-} & & \\ \hline & & & \text { Manganese(II) chlorate } \\ \hline & & \mathrm{SnBr}_{4} & \\ \hline \mathrm{Co}^{2+} & \mathrm{PO}_{4}^{3-} & & \\ \hline \mathrm{Hg}_{2}^{2+} & \mathrm{I}^{-} & & \\ \hline & & \mathrm{Cu}_{2} \mathrm{CO}_{3} & \\ \hline & & & \text { Lithium nitride } \\ \hline \mathrm{Al}^{3+} & \mathrm{S}^{2-} & & \\ \hline \end{array} $$

Compare the properties of the following: \(\alpha\) particles, cathode rays, protons, neutrons, electrons.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Organic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Chemical Reactions

Read Explanation

Kinetics

Read Explanation

Chemistry Branches

Read Explanation

Making Measurements

Read Explanation

Chemical Analysis

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free