Take a guess. What do you think is a likely ground-state electron configuration for the sodium ion, Na+, formed by loss of an electron from a neutral sodium atom?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the electron configuration of a neutral sodium atom. Sodium (Na) is the 11th element on the periodic table, so a neutral sodium atom has 11 electrons. The electron configuration of a neutral sodium atom is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹.
2. Step 2: Understand what happens when a sodium atom loses an electron. When a sodium atom loses an electron, it becomes a sodium ion (Na+). This means it now has 10 electrons.
3. Step 3: Determine the electron configuration of the sodium ion. After losing an electron, the sodium ion's electron configuration will be the same as that of the 10th element on the periodic table, which is neon (Ne).
4. Step 4: The electron configuration of a neon atom is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶. Therefore, the likely ground-state electron configuration for the sodium ion, Na+, is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶.

Key Concepts

Electron Configuration

Electron configuration describes the distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals. It is represented using a notation that indicates the energy levels and sublevels occupied by electrons. For example, the electron configuration of a neutral sodium atom (Na) is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹, showing that it has one electron in the outermost shell.

Ion Formation

Ion formation occurs when an atom gains or loses electrons, resulting in a charged particle. A sodium ion (Na+) is formed when a neutral sodium atom loses one electron from its outermost shell. This loss leads to a stable electron configuration similar to that of the noble gas neon, making the ion more stable.

Ground State

The ground state of an atom refers to the lowest energy configuration of its electrons. In this state, electrons occupy the lowest available energy levels according to the Aufbau principle. For the sodium ion (Na+), the ground-state electron configuration reflects the removal of one electron from the neutral sodium atom, resulting in a configuration of 1s² 2s² 2p⁶, which is stable and fully filled.