Describe what would happen if a positively charged sodium ion and a negatively charged chlorine ion came into contact?
They would form an ionic bond
When a positively charged sodium ion (Na+) and a negatively charged chlorine ion (Cl-) come into contact, they would be attracted to each other due to their opposite charges. This attraction is known as an electrostatic force. The result of this interaction between sodium and chlorine ions is the formation of an ionic bond.
To understand what happens in more detail, let's break it down step by step:
1. Sodium (Na) has one valence electron, meaning it tends to lose that electron to achieve a stable electronic configuration. By losing this electron, it becomes a positively charged ion, Na+.
2. Chlorine (Cl), on the other hand, has seven valence electrons and needs one more electron to complete its electron shell. It tends to gain one electron to achieve a stable electronic configuration. By gaining an electron, chlorine becomes a negatively charged ion, Cl-.
3. When a Na+ ion and a Cl- ion come in contact, the positive and negative charges attract each other. This attraction is a result of the electrical force between opposite charges.
4. The sodium ion (Na+) transfers its one valence electron to the chlorine ion (Cl-), forming an ionic bond. This electron transfer allows both ions to achieve a more stable electron configuration.
5. As a result, the sodium ion loses its positive charge by losing its valence electron, and the chlorine ion loses its negative charge by gaining an electron. They both become electrically neutral.
6. The resulting compound formed from this interaction is called sodium chloride (NaCl), commonly known as table salt.
To summarize, when a positively charged sodium ion and a negatively charged chlorine ion come into contact, they form an ionic bond by transferring electrons between them. This results in the formation of a neutral compound called sodium chloride.