A nitride ion has 7 protons, 8 neutrons, and 10 electrons. What is the overall charge on this ion? A. -3 B. -2 C. 0 D. +3
7p = 7*+1 = +7
+8n = 8*0 = 0
10e = 10*-1 = -10
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sum ............= ?
To determine the overall charge on an ion, you need to compare the number of protons (positive) and electrons (negative) present. A nitride ion has 7 protons and 10 electrons.
Since the number of protons equals the atomic number of an element, which is the charge on the nucleus, we know that the nitride ion has a charge of +7.
Now, consider the number of electrons, which determines whether the ion is positively or negatively charged. In this case, there are 10 electrons, so we have an excess of 10 negative charges.
To find the overall charge, we subtract the number of electrons from the number of protons: +7 - 10 = -3.
Therefore, the overall charge on the nitride ion is -3, which means the correct answer is A.