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What is the correct notation for a calcium ion whose outer shell is a full octet?

a) Ca¹+
b) Ca²+
c) Ca¹-
d) Ca²-

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The correct notation for a calcium ion with a full octet is Ca²+, which represents a calcium cation with a 2+ charge.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct notation for a calcium ion with a full outer shell is Ca²+. Calcium typically loses two electrons to achieve a stable octet configuration, resulting in a cation with a +2 charge. A calcium atom has an atomic number of 20 and an electron configuration of [Ar]4s². When it loses two electrons (the 4s² electrons), it achieves the electron configuration of Argon, which is a noble gas with a full octet. The resulting calcium ion has a 2+ charge because it has 20 protons (positively charged) and only 18 electrons (negatively charged), making it a calcium cation represented as Ca²+.

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