How do sodium and chlorine attain stability?

How do sodium and chlorine attain stability?

If a sodium atom gives an electron to a chlorine atom, both become more stable. The sodium has lost an electron, so it no longer has equal numbers of electrons and protons. If electrons are lost from an atom, positive ions are formed.

How do Unstable sodium and chlorine atoms work together to both become stable?

When a sodium atom transfers an electron to a chlorine atom, forming a sodium cation (Na+) and a chloride anion (Cl-), both ions have complete valence shells, and are energetically more stable.

How can element can achieve a stable electron configuration?

Elements in other groups have partially filled valence shells and gain or lose electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. An atom may give, take, or share electrons with another atom to achieve a full valence shell, the most stable electron configuration.

What happens when sodium atoms react with chlorine atoms?

If sodium metal and chlorine gas mix under the right conditions, they will form salt. The sodium loses an electron, and the chlorine gains that electron. This reaction is highly favorable because of the electrostatic attraction between the particles. In the process, a great amount of light and heat is released.

When sodium loses an electron and obtains a stable electron configuration What will be produced?

Metals have few electrons in their outer-most orbitals. By losing those electrons, these metals can achieve noble gas configuration and satisfy the octet rule. Sodium has one valence electron, so giving it up would result in the same electron configuration as neon.

Why do chlorine and sodium have charges after electron transfer?

The sodium (Na) atom transfers one electron to the chlorine (Cl) atom, so that they both have full outer shells. Because the sodium ion has a positive charge, and the chlorine ion has a negative charge, they are attracted to each other, and form an ionic bond.

What is the difference between a stable and unstable atom?

Atoms found in nature are either stable or unstable. An atom is stable if the forces among the particles that makeup the nucleus are balanced. An atom is unstable (radioactive) if these forces are unbalanced; if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy.

What kind of interaction occurs between atoms of sodium and chlorine?

Sodium and chlorine ions come together to form sodium chloride, or NaCl. The sodium atom in this compound loses an electron to become Na+, while the chlorine atom gains an electron to become Cl-. Most solids have periodic arrays of atoms which form what we call a crystal lattice.

What does stable electron configuration mean?

An atom is at its most stable (and therefore unreactive) when all its orbitals are full. The most stable configurations are the ones that have full energy levels. These configurations occur in the noble gases. The noble gases are very stable elements that do not react easily with any other elements.

How did both hydrogen atoms achieve a stable configuration in a covalent bonds explain using electrons?

By sharing the valence electrons, atoms can achieve a filled valence shell which is stable. Examples: Hydrogen needs one more electron to be stable. Two hydrogen atoms each share their electron with oxygen, giving oxygen a total of eight electrons, creating a filled shell for oxygen.

What happens when sodium and chlorine atoms react to form sodium chloride?

Sodium and chloride form an ionic bond. Therefore the sodium atom loses one electron from its outer shell and the chlorine atom gains one electron. As this happens, the electron is transferred from the sodium atom to the chloride atom and so both atoms become ionic and have a full outer shell.

When a chlorine atom accepts an electron from sodium What changes?

The transfer of an electron from a sodium atom to a chlorine atom results in oppositely charged ions. The attraction between these ions is an ionic bond. When the two atoms collide, the chlorine atom strips away sodium’s outer electron.