Question

The net charge on a sulfide ion (S2-) is

-2. Explain how this ion obtains its
charge. Your answer
should include a discussion of
subatomic particles.

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

A sulfide ion S²⁻ is formed from sulfur atom.

An ion is an atom that has lost or gained electron.

Sulfur atom is made up of 16 electrons according to its position on the periodic table.

In essence, there are 16 negatively charged particles in an atom of sulfur.

Also, in the neutral or uncharged state, the number of electrons equals to the number of protons.

So, there are 16 electrons and protons in an atom of sulfur.

• Every atom tends to be like the noble gases.
• Noble gases have complete octets.
• So, for sulfur to have a complete octet, it must gain two more electrons to be isoelectronic with Argon.
• Now, the number of electrons becomes 18;

Charge = Number of protons - Number of electrons

Charge = 16 - 18 = -2