Question

Does a cation gain protons to form a positive charge or does it lose electrons?

a) Gains protons
b) Loses electrons
c) Gains electrons
d) Loses protons

Answer 1

A cation forms by losing electrons, resulting in a positively charged ion due to having more protons than electrons.

Step-by-step explanation:

When an atom forms a cation, it does so by losing electrons, not by gaining or losing protons. Therefore, the correct answer to whether a cation gains protons to form a positive charge or loses electrons is b) Loses electrons. The number of protons in an atom determines the element and does not change during ion formation.

When an atom becomes a cation, it has more protons than electrons, resulting in a positive charge. For example, sodium (Na) can lose one electron to become Na+, and calcium (Ca) can lose two electrons to become Ca2+.