Which is most likely to be part of an ionic bond? A. An atom with no valence electrons B. An atom with one valence electron C. An atom with two valence electrons D. An atom with three valence electrons
Now think !
What are common ionic bonds?
for example
NaCl table salt
Na is +1, gave up the one electron it had in the outer shell
Cl is -1 , grabbed an extra electron from the Na to fill its outer shell
+2 and even more can form ionic bonds but +1 and - 1 are the big winners
Atoms like Carbon with half full shells often form covalent bonds sharing its outer electrons. They do not do ionic.
Atoms with NO valence electrons just plain do not like to bond at all. That is why "noble gases" are called that. Like Helium does not even form an He2 gas molecule like Hydrogen forms H2 or Oxygen forms O2
To determine which atom is most likely to be part of an ionic bond, we need to understand the concept of valence electrons and how they contribute to bond formation.
Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom. These electrons are involved in the formation of chemical bonds. The number of valence electrons in an atom determines its reactivity and its ability to bond with other atoms.
In an ionic bond, there is a transfer of electrons from one atom to another. One atom loses electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration, while the other atom gains those electrons. The transfer of electrons results in the formation of positively charged ions (cations) and negatively charged ions (anions) that are held together by electrostatic attractions.
Now, let's analyze the options:
A. An atom with no valence electrons: This is not likely to participate in an ionic bond because there are no valence electrons available for transfer.
B. An atom with one valence electron: This is more likely to be part of an ionic bond because it only needs to gain or lose one electron to achieve a stable electron configuration.
C. An atom with two valence electrons: This atom is less likely to participate in an ionic bond because losing or gaining two electrons would require a greater amount of energy.
D. An atom with three valence electrons: Similar to option C, this atom is also less likely to participate in an ionic bond due to the higher energy required to gain or lose three electrons.
Based on the explanations above, the answer is:
B. An atom with one valence electron