Question

Sodium and chlorine react and an ionic bond forms. Which statement is true about the bonding that has occurred? A. The sodium atom has lost an electron and the chlorine atom has gained one. B. The sodium and the chlorine atoms have both gained an electron. C. The sodium and the chlorine atoms have both lost an electron. D. The chlorine atom has lost an electron and the sodium atom has gained one.

Answer 1

Answer: A: The sodium atom has lost an electron and the chlorine atom has gained one.

Step-by-step explanation:

Sodium wants to lose an electron and chlorine wants to gain an electron to become stable. This is because of their place in the periodic table, sodium being on the very left edge and chlorine on the very right (noble gasses dont count as they are stable to begin with)

Therefore sodium will donate to chlorine so they both become stable with an ionic bond.

Answer 2

The statement that the sodium atom loses an electron and the chlorine atom gains one is true in the formation of an ionic bond.

When sodium and chlorine react to form an ionic bond, the correct statement about the bonding that has occurred is A. The sodium atom has lost an electron and the chlorine atom has gained one. During this electron transfer, sodium (Na) donates its one valence electron to achieve a stable configuration, turning into a sodium cation (Na+) with an overall charge of +1. Chlorine (Cl), having seven electrons in its outer shell, accepts this electron, becoming a chloride anion (Cl−) with a net charge of -1. Both the sodium cation and chloride anion satisfy the octet rule, having complete outer electron shells, and because opposite charges attract, they form a strong ionic bond.