Question

The number of protons in a cation must always be ________ the number of electrons.

a) Greater than
b) Less than
c) Equal to
d) Not determined

Answer 1

In a cation, the number of protons is greater than the number of electrons, giving it a positive charge. This happens because it loses electrons and maintains the same number of protons.

Step-by-step explanation:

The number of protons in a cation must always be greater than the number of electrons.

This is because a cation is a positively charged ion that has lost one or more electrons.

The loss of electrons reduces the electronic count without affecting the number of protons, thus leading to a net positive charge.

An example of this is a sodium cation (Na+), which has lost an electron, resulting in 11 protons and only 10 electrons.