An atom differs from its ion in which among the following ?a)Mass numb...
When an atom loses or gains electrons its forms its corresponding ion, and hence it differs in number of electrons.
For example, H atom has 1 electron. Whereas H+ ion has 0 electrons. On the other hand, H− ion has 2 electrons.
View all questions of this test
An atom differs from its ion in which among the following ?a)Mass numb...
Explanation:
An atom and its ion differ in several ways, including the number of electrons.
Atom:
An atom is the basic unit of matter. It consists of a nucleus, which contains protons and neutrons, and electrons, which orbit around the nucleus. The number of protons in the nucleus determines the atom's atomic number, while the total number of protons and neutrons determines the mass number of the atom.
Ion:
An ion is an atom that has gained or lost electrons, resulting in a net positive or negative charge. When an atom loses one or more electrons, it becomes a positively charged ion, called a cation. When an atom gains one or more electrons, it becomes a negatively charged ion, called an anion.
Difference between an atom and its ion:
The main difference between an atom and its ion is the number of electrons.
- Atom: An atom is electrically neutral, meaning it has an equal number of protons and electrons. The number of protons in the nucleus determines the atomic number of the atom.
- Ion: An ion has a net positive or negative charge due to the loss or gain of electrons. The number of electrons in an ion may be different from the number of protons, resulting in a different charge.
Example:
For example, let's consider the element sodium (Na). A sodium atom has an atomic number of 11, which means it has 11 protons and 11 electrons. However, if sodium loses one electron, it becomes a sodium ion (Na+). The sodium ion now has 11 protons and 10 electrons, resulting in a net positive charge of +1.
Therefore, the correct answer is option D) Number of electrons. An atom and its ion differ in terms of the number of electrons.