State the number of electrons lost or gained when the following elements form
Ions:
In
Express your answer as an integer.
When the element In forms ions, it tends to lose 3 electrons.
When the element In forms ions, it tends to lose 3 electrons.
To determine the number of electrons lost or gained when an element forms ions, we need to look at its electron configuration.
The element in question is Indium (In), which has an atomic number of 49. The electron configuration of Indium is [Kr] 5s^2 4d^10 5p^1.
To form ions, elements either lose or gain electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. Stable electron configurations can be achieved by attaining a completely filled valence shell (the outermost energy level).
Indium is located in Group 13 of the periodic table and has three valence electrons in its 5s and 5p orbitals. Since it is only one electron away from having a completely filled valence shell, it is likely to lose that one electron to form a positive ion.
Therefore, when Indium forms ions, it usually loses one electron and becomes a positively charged ion with a +1 charge. This is because the loss of one negatively charged electron leaves behind an overall positive charge, making it a cation.