Question

When chlorine (Cl) and sodium (Na) come close, they form an ionic bond. Cl has 17 protons and 17 electrons, making it stable. Na has 11 protons and 11 electrons, also considered stable. Although Na already seems stable, 1 valence electron is transferred from Na to Cl during the formation of the ionic bond. This transfer is attributed to Cl having more protons, creating a stronger attraction for electrons. However, after bonding, Cl has 17 protons and 18 electrons. Why doesn't this make Cl unstable, considering it now has more electrons than protons?

a.The transfer of electrons is a temporary phenomenon, and Cl quickly releases the extra electron, restoring stability.
b.Cl remains stable despite having more electrons because the additional electron is accommodated in a higher energy level.
c.The stability of Cl after bonding is due to the overall electrostatic attraction in the ionic bond, compensating for the excess electron.
d.The concept of stability in atomic structure is not accurately represented by a simple comparison of protons and electrons.

Answer 1

The stability of Cl after bonding in the formation of an ionic bond is due to the electrostatic attraction within the ionic compound, which balances out the extra electron acquired by chlorine, resulting in a stable chloride ion. The correct option is c.

Step-by-step explanation:

When chlorine (Cl) and sodium (Na) come close, they form an ionic bond. In this process, Na donates its single valence electron to Cl, forming a Na+ cation and a Cl- anion. While it may seem that having more electrons than protons would make Cl unstable, this is not the case. The correct answer is:

c. The stability of Cl after bonding is due to the overall electrostatic attraction in the ionic bond, compensating for the excess electron.

This is because Chlorine becomes a chloride ion (Cl-) after gaining an electron to complete its outer shell, satisfying the octet rule. Both the resulting Na+ cation and Cl- anion have complete outer shells, which are energetically favorable and stable configurations.

The electrostatic attraction between the oppositely charged ions is what contributes to the stability of the compound, preventing the additional electron from destabilizing the Cl- ion. The correct option is c.