Atoms, Ions, And Isotopes Quiz

Atoms and ions are not the same. Atoms are neutral particles with an equal number of protons and electrons, resulting in no overall charge. Ions are atoms that have either lost or gained electrons, resulting in a net positive or negative charge. When an atom loses electrons, it becomes positively charged (cation), and when it gains electrons, it becomes negatively charged (anion).

In a neutral atom, the number of protons (positively charged) is equal to the number of electrons (negatively charged). This balance results in no overall electric charge. If an atom has more or fewer electrons than protons, it becomes an ion and gains a charge.

Atoms can obtain a full outer shell by either losing or gaining electrons. When an atom loses electrons, it becomes positively charged because it now has more protons than electrons. This process is known as ionization. On the other hand, when an atom gains electrons, it becomes negatively charged because it now has more electrons than protons. This process is called electron gain or reduction. By either losing or gaining electrons, atoms can achieve a stable electron configuration and obtain a full outer shell, which makes them more stable and less reactive.

An ion is defined as an atom that has gained or lost electrons, resulting in a net positive or negative charge. If an atom loses electrons, it becomes positively charged (cation). If it gains electrons, it becomes negatively charged (anion). The number of protons and neutrons remains unchanged when forming an ion.

Neutrons do not affect whether an atom is an ion or not. Ions are formed when atoms lose or gain electrons, which affects the overall charge but not the number of neutrons. The number of neutrons remains unchanged in the process of forming an ion. Neutrons are neutral particles and do not contribute to the electric charge of an atom or ion.

When an atom loses electrons, it becomes positively charged due to the excess of protons over electrons. This positively charged ion is called a cation. On the other hand, an anion is formed when an atom gains electrons and becomes negatively charged. Neutrons and protons are subatomic particles found in the nucleus and do not define the charge of ions.

An atom that gains electrons acquires a negative charge because electrons are negatively charged. This type of ion is called an anion. Conversely, an atom that loses electrons becomes a cation, which is positively charged due to the excess of protons over electrons.

An ion is formed when an atom gains or loses electrons. This means that in an ion, the number of electrons is not equal to the number of protons. If there are more electrons than protons, the ion is negatively charged (anion). If there are fewer electrons than protons, the ion is positively charged (cation).

Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons (and thus the same atomic number) but differ in the number of neutrons. This difference in neutron count results in varying atomic masses. For example, Carbon-12 and Carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon, both having 6 protons but with 6 and 8 neutrons, respectively.

Atoms gain or lose electrons to achieve a full outer shell of electrons, which makes them more stable. This concept is based on the "octet rule," where atoms tend to have eight electrons in their valence (outermost) shell, similar to the stable electron configuration of noble gases. Atoms with incomplete outer shells are more reactive and will either lose or gain electrons to attain stability. This does not change them into another element, affect their size significantly, or solely aim for electrical neutrality.