Only elements in the noble gas family have eight electrons in their outermost shell. An octet structure infers that the atom is stable. Other elements of the periodic table either gain or lose electrons as they try to become stable.
Naturally, all elements do not bear any charge. They have an equal number of protons and electrons and are neutral. But, upon electron gain or loss, they form ions. Sodium (Na), the case study of this article, will lose one electron to form a Na ion with a positive charge (Na+).
Let’s find out more about the charge of Na ion.
What is the charge of Na ion?
The sodium ion is the ionic form of the sodium atom. The Na ion, Na+, has a +1 charge. As a metal, it loses an electron and forms a cation.
The electron sodium loses is the electron in its outermost shell. After this happens, it still has 11 protons but the number of electrons reduces to 10.
What is the effective nuclear charge of Na ion?
The effective nuclear charge, Zeff, of sodium ion can be determined as follows:
- Following Slater’s rule, the electronic configuration for sodium ion is 1s22s22p6. The electron in 3s0 is the electron of concern. Therefore, it will not be assigned any electron value
- The electron value of the electrons in 1s2 is 0.85 and the electrons in 2s2 and 2p6 have an electron value of 0.35
Therefore,
S = (2 x 0.85) + (8 x 0.35) = 4.5
Zeff = Z – S
= 11 – 4.5
Zeff of sodium ion is 6.5.
How much charge is on one Na ion?
One Na+ has a charge of 1.6 x 10-19 C. This is the same as the charge of one electron. The positive charge on sodium is due to the loss of one electron. Therefore, the ion bears the charge of one electron.
Can Na form an anion?
No. Sodium is a metal and cannot gain electrons to form an anion. The sodium atom loses one electron to form a cation.
What elements does Na ion react with?
Sodium reacts with a lot of elements and compounds except carbon. It may react with carbon but in rare cases.
Na ion readily reacts with halogens to form sodium halides, oxygen to form sodium oxide and sodium peroxide, fumes of nitric acid to form sodium nitrate, metallic halides to form the metal and sodium halides, acetic acid to form sodium acetate, sulphuric acid to form sodium sulfate.
FAQs
What is the charge of Na in NaHCO3?
You can find the charge of Na in NaHCO3 by substituting the oxidation states of other atoms in the compound.
The oxidation state of H, C, and O are +1, +4, and -2, respectively. Equate it to the overall charge of the compound which is 0.
Na + 1 + 4 + 3(-2) = 0
Na – 1 = 0
+1 = Na
What is the charge of Na in NaCl?
The charge of Na in NaCl is +1. Chlorine is an anion with a -1 charge, and the overall charge of the compound is 0.
Na + (-1) = 0
Na = +1
The charges on both ions neutralize each other to give the overall zero charge and a neutral compound.
What is the charge of Na in Na2SO4?
The charge of Na in Na2SO4 is +1. Substitute the oxidation state of each atom into the formula and equate the equation to 0.
2Na + 6 + 4(-2) = 0
2Na – 2 = 0
Na = +1
Conclusion
Sodium, by itself, is a neutral atom. But, when it loses an electron, it becomes Na+ with more protons than electrons. Sodium carries the +1 charge in most compounds.
It is one of the most reactive metals because of its low ionization energy. It readily loses an electron, forms an ion, and readily forms compounds with organic and inorganic anions to form compounds of sodium.
Here’s how you can find the net charge of an element.
Thanks for reading.