What term is defined as the number indicating how many electrons are lost or gained to form an ion?

What term is defined as the number indicating how many electrons are lost or gained to form an ion?

• A. Group
• B. Periods
• C. Ionic charge
• D. Alkali metals

Answer: (C)

When atoms form ions, the key idea is the charge that results from transferring electrons. The term for that charge is the ionic charge. It tells you how many electrons were lost or gained to create the ion. If an atom loses electrons, the ion has a positive charge equal to the number lost; if it gains electrons, the ion has a negative charge equal to the number gained. For example, sodium loses one electron to become a +1 ion, while chlorine gains one electron to become a −1 ion. The other terms describe different concepts: a group is a column in the periodic table, a period is a row, and alkali metals are a specific group of elements; none of these define the charge on an ion.

When atoms form ions, the key idea is the charge that results from transferring electrons. The term for that charge is the ionic charge. It tells you how many electrons were lost or gained to create the ion. If an atom loses electrons, the ion has a positive charge equal to the number lost; if it gains electrons, the ion has a negative charge equal to the number gained. For example, sodium loses one electron to become a +1 ion, while chlorine gains one electron to become a −1 ion. The other terms describe different concepts: a group is a column in the periodic table, a period is a row, and alkali metals are a specific group of elements; none of these define the charge on an ion.