Question

When a potassium atom forms an ion, it loses one electron. What is the electrical charge of the potassium ion?

1) -2
2) -1
3) 1
4) 2

Answer 1

When a potassium atom forms an ion, it loses one electron. The electrical charge of the potassium ion is +1 so the correct option is 3

Step-by-step explanation:

When a potassium (K) atom loses one electron, it transforms into a positively charged ion. The loss of an electron results in the potassium ion (K+) having one more proton than electrons, giving it a net positive charge of +1. This is because protons, which carry a positive charge, outnumber the electrons, which carry a negative charge, leading to an overall positive charge on the ion. Therefore, the correct answer is option 3) +1.

When a potassium (K) atom loses one electron during ionization, it becomes a positively charged ion known as a cation. This occurs because the atom starts with 19 electrons and 19 protons (which balance each other out in a neutral atom). Losing one electron means the atom now has 18 electrons but still 19 protons, resulting in a net positive charge of +1. Therefore, the potassium ion (K+) carries a charge of +1 due to the loss of one negatively charged electron.