Answered

A neutral sodium atom has 11 protons and 11 electrons. The atom loses one electron. Which statement best describes what happens?


AThe atom becomes a different element.
BThe atom becomes a negatively charged ion.
CThe atom becomes a positively charged ion.
DThe atom becomes an isotope of sodium.

Verified Answer :

Final answer:

Losing an electron from a neutral sodium atom, which has 11 protons and 11 electrons, results in a positively charged ion. This means the sodium atom becomes Na+, maintaining its identity as sodium. Therefore, the correct answer is C: the atom becomes a positively charged ion.


Explanation:

Understanding Atomic Structure


A neutral sodium atom has 11 protons and 11 electrons, which balance each other out, resulting in no overall charge. When the atom loses one electron, it now has 11 protons but only 10 electrons. This imbalance causes the atom to have a net positive charge, making it a positively charged ion.

What Happens Next?


The correct statement that describes what happens when sodium loses an electron is:



  1. C. The atom becomes a positively charged ion.


This transformation occurs because ions are formed when atoms gain or lose electrons. For example, if sodium loses one electron, it becomes Na+ (sodium ion), which is common in various chemical compounds, such as table salt (NaCl).

To clarify the incorrect options:



  • A. This option is incorrect because losing an electron does not change the element; it remains sodium (Na).

  • B. This is incorrect as the atom does not become negatively charged; losing an electron leads to a loss of negative charge.

  • D. This is also incorrect because isotopes are variations of an element based on differing numbers of neutrons, not electrons.


Learn more about Ionic Charge here:

https://brainly.com/question/38359114


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