pls. explain why the copper element has two ion charge?
It loses two electrons, one from the 4s and one from the 3d orbital, each with a negative charge. The final charge then is 29 protons (29+) and 27 electrons (27-) so it is +2 charge on the ion.
thanks
Copper is an element that can form two different ions, commonly referred to as copper(I) and copper(II) ions. The reason behind this lies in the electronic structure of copper.
In its neutral state, copper has an atomic number of 29, which means it has 29 protons and 29 electrons. These electrons occupy different energy levels or electron shells around the nucleus. The first shell closest to the nucleus can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, the second shell can hold a maximum of 8 electrons, and the third shell can hold a maximum of 18 electrons.
The electronic configuration of copper is [Ar] 3d^10 4s^1, meaning it has a completely filled 3d subshell with 10 electrons and one electron in the 4s orbital. When copper loses electrons to form ions, it can either lose one electron from the 4s orbital or two electrons from the 4s and 3d orbitals.
- Copper(I) ion: In this case, copper loses one electron from the 4s orbital, resulting in a stable electron configuration of [Ar] 3d^10. The copper(I) ion has a +1 charge since it has one less electron than the neutral copper atom.
- Copper(II) ion: In this case, copper loses two electrons, one from the 4s orbital and one from the 3d orbital. It then has the electron configuration [Ar] 3d^9. The copper(II) ion has a +2 charge since it has two fewer electrons than the neutral copper atom.
The ability of copper to form both copper(I) and copper(II) ions is related to its position in the periodic table. Transition metals like copper have multiple oxidation states due to the availability of electrons in both the 3d and 4s orbitals.
In summary, copper has two ion charges, +1 and +2, which correspond to the loss of one electron or two electrons, respectively, from its outermost energy level. The formation of these ions is attributed to the electronic structure of copper and the ability to lose electrons from different orbitals.