Why does an ion have an electrical charge?
A neutral atom has an equal number of protons and electrons. An ion is formed by adding or subtracting electrons from the atom; therefore, the number of electrons and the number of protons are not equal; therefore, the + and - charges don't balance.
An ion is an atom or molecule that has gained or lost one or more electrons, resulting in an electrical charge. The electrical charge of an ion is due to the imbalance between the number of protons (positively charged particles) and electrons (negatively charged particles) it contains.
When an atom gains or loses electrons, it becomes an ion. If it gains an electron, it becomes a negatively charged ion, known as an anion. This happens when an atom has more electrons than protons, giving it a net negative charge. On the other hand, if an atom loses an electron, it becomes a positively charged ion, known as a cation. This occurs when an atom has fewer electrons than protons, giving it a net positive charge.
The reason an atom may gain or lose electrons to form ions is to achieve a stable electron configuration, following the octet rule. Atoms strive to have a full outermost electron shell, typically consisting of eight electrons. By gaining or losing electrons, ions can achieve a more stable electron configuration and lower their overall energy.
For example, an atom of sodium (Na) has 11 protons and typically 11 electrons, resulting in no net charge. However, when it loses one electron, it becomes a sodium ion (Na+) with 11 protons and only 10 electrons. This results in a net positive charge of +1.
In summary, an ion has an electrical charge due to the imbalance between the number of protons and electrons it possesses, resulting from the gain or loss of electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration.