In \(\mathrm{CaF}_{2}\), the number of electron(s) transferred from calcium to fluorine atoms is

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: In calcium fluoride (CaF2), 2 electrons are transferred from the calcium atom to the fluorine atoms.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the number of valence electrons for each element

Look at the periodic table and determine the number of valence electrons for calcium (Ca) and fluorine (F). Calcium is in group 2, meaning it has two valence electrons. Fluorine is in group 17, so it has seven valence electrons.
02

Determine the ionic charge of the elements

In an ionic compound, atoms gain or lose electrons in order to achieve a full outer electron shell. Since calcium has two valence electrons, it will lose these two electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration, forming a Ca^{2+} ion. Fluorine, having seven valence electrons, needs to gain one electron to achieve a stable electron configuration, forming a F^{-} ion.
03

Balance the charges

In order for the compound to be electrically neutral, the positive charges of the calcium ions need to balance the negative charges of the fluorine ions. Since one calcium ion has a charge of +2 and one fluorine ion has a charge of -1, we will need two fluorine ions for every calcium ion. This is reflected in the formula CaF2, which shows one calcium atom bonded to two fluorine atoms.
04

Calculate the number of electrons transferred

Now, we can calculate the number of electrons transferred from the calcium atom to the fluorine atoms. Since the calcium atom loses two electrons, and each fluorine atom gains one electron, a total of two electrons are transferred to the two fluorine atoms in the compound. So, the number of electrons transferred from calcium to fluorine atoms in CaF2 is 2.

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