Does adding a proton to lithium-7 make it a positively charged ion?
Is this just an academic question or does more follow? I don't like to buy a "pig in a poke".
Add a proton to Li-7, if that's all you do, will make a + ion, yes, but it is an ion of Be.
3Li7 + 1P1 ==> 4Be8. Unless this picks up an electron (and stray electrons are everywhere) the Be will be + charged, at least temporarily.
So, when we add just one proton (no electrons or neutrons), it changes to beryllium-8?
Yes, Isn't the atomic number that is on the periodic table the number of protons i the nucleus? Yes it is. So 3 protons makes it Li and 4 protons makes it Be since Be is atomic number 4. Adding a bunch more would make 92U.
Look at the numbers. The subscripts add up and the superscripts add up.
3 + 1 = 4 for protons.
mass number 7 + 1 = mass number 8.
Yes, adding a proton to lithium-7 would indeed convert it into a positively charged ion. To understand why, let's break it down.
Lithium-7 (Li-7) is a neutral atom with three protons and four neutrons in its nucleus. It also has three electrons orbiting around the nucleus. The number of protons in an atom determines its atomic number and identity, so lithium always has three protons.
When a proton is added to lithium-7, it becomes lithium-8 (Li-8). The atomic number of an element is the number of protons it contains, so by adding a proton, the atomic number of lithium increases to four in Li-8. As a result, the lithium atom loses its balance between positive and negative charges.
Now, the number of electrons (negative charges) in an atom usually matches the number of protons (positive charges) to maintain neutrality. However, when an atom gains or loses electrons, it becomes an ion with a charge. In this case, the addition of a proton to lithium-7 does not affect the number of electrons initially, so once the proton is added, there are now four positive charges and three negative charges.
This disparity in charges leads to a net positive charge on the atom. Therefore, when a proton is added to lithium-7, it becomes a positively charged ion.