when it ionizes, does sodium become Na or Na+
does sodium loose an electron or gain an electron during ionization
use the periodic table and knowledge of atomic structure to explain how you know whether the neutral atom or ion is bigger

Question

when it ionizes, does sodium become Na or Na+
does sodium loose an electron or gain an electron during ionization
use the periodic table and knowledge of atomic structure to explain how you know whether the neutral atom or ion is bigger

aaronq · Answer

What group is sodium in? (in other words, how many valence electrons does sodium have?)

heart_offire · Answer

1 valence electron @aaronq

aaronq · Answer

Correct. So, would it be easier (energetically) for Na to lose that one electron, or gain seven, to achieve a noble gas electronic configuration?

heart_offire · Answer

it would be easier to loose the one electtron

aaronq · Answer

yup, that's correct. 

Now, knowing that what dictates an atom's size is the number of electrons, if it lost the outermost electron, what would happen to the size when Na becomes Na^+?

heart_offire · Answer

it would become smaller?

aaronq · Answer

yup!

heart_offire · Answer

so how is the neutral atom or ion bigger

heart_offire · Answer

oh wait because of its valence electron right?

aaronq · Answer

The neutral atom is bigger than the ion in this case.|dw:1477875714872:dw|

In addition to losing that electron, the nuclear charge "felt" by the rest of the electrons increases (slightly)