State the number of electrons lost or gained when the following elements form Ions.
Group 3A (3)
Express your answer as an integer
Elements in Group 3A (Group 13 in modern periodic table) typically form ions with a +3 charge. This means that they lose 3 electrons to form ions. Thus, they lose 3 electrons.
Group 3A (also known as Group 13) elements have three valence electrons. When forming ions, these elements tend to lose three electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. Therefore, the number of electrons lost when Group 3A elements form ions is 3.
To determine the number of electrons lost or gained when the elements in Group 3A form ions, we need to look at their electron configuration.
Elements in Group 3A have three valence electrons, which means they have three electrons in their outermost energy level. To achieve a stable electron configuration, they can either lose these three electrons or gain five additional electrons.
When elements in Group 3A lose three electrons, they form positively charged ions called cations. The number of electrons lost is represented by a positive integer. To express the answer as an integer, we use a positive sign before the number.
On the other hand, if elements in Group 3A gain five electrons, they form negatively charged ions called anions. The number of electrons gained is represented by a negative integer. To express the answer as an integer, we use a negative sign before the number.
Therefore, for elements in Group 3A, when they form ions:
- Cations: They lose three electrons, so the answer is +3.
- Anions: They gain five electrons, so the answer is -5.