Question

Use the pictures below to answer these questions: How does Magnesium become an ion? What is the charge of the Magnesium ion?

Answer 1

Magnesium becomes an ion by losing two electrons from its outermost shell, which results in a
`\( \text{Mg}^(2+) \)` ion with a 2+ charge.

To answer the questions regarding how Magnesium becomes an ion and the charge of the Magnesium ion, we can follow these steps based on general chemistry knowledge:

1. Understand Magnesium's Electron Configuration: Magnesium (Mg) is an element with atomic number 12, meaning it has 12 protons and, when neutral, 12 electrons. Its electron configuration is
`\( 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 \),` with the two 3s electrons being the outermost electrons.

2. Ion Formation: Magnesium becomes an ion by losing electrons to achieve a more stable electronic configuration. The most stable electronic configuration is often that of a noble gas, which, for Magnesium, would be the configuration of Neon (Ne), with an electron configuration of
`\( 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 \).`

3. Losing Electrons: To achieve this configuration, Magnesium loses the two 3s electrons. This loss of electrons results in a positively charged ion because there are now more protons (12) than electrons (10).

4. Resulting Charge: After losing two electrons, Magnesium has a 2+ charge because it has two more protons than electrons. The resulting ion is denoted as
`\( \text{Mg}^(2+) \).`

Answer 2

Step-by-step explanation:

The bottom picture shows a Mg atom. There are two electrons on the outside ring. When Mg reacts with something, these 2 electrons are given away. The top picture records that fact.