Forming Ions
Part of the Structure and Bonding section of Coddy's Chemistry journey. Lesson 2 of 49.
An ion is an atom with electrons lost or gained. The protons never change.
Sodium loses its outer electron and becomes Na⁺
Metals lose electrons: positive ions (Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Al³⁺). Non-metals gain electrons: negative ions (Cl⁻, O²⁻, N³⁻).
The group gives the charge: groups 1, 2, 13 make 1+, 2+, 3+; groups 15, 16, 17 make 3−, 2−, 1−.
Challenge
Sodium fluoride is in many toothpastes. Build its two ions: the sodium ion and the fluoride ion.
Try it yourself
Atom builderBuild Na+, F−
Test yourselfThis lesson includes a short quiz. Start the lesson to answer it and track your progress.
All lessons in Structure and Bonding
1Ionic Bonding
Why Atoms BondForming IonsThe Ionic BondIonic FormulasPolyatomic IonsIonic LatticesRecap - Salt Factory2Covalent Bonds
Sharing ElectronsCounting Valence ElectronsDrawing Lewis StructuresDouble and Triple BondsLone PairsFormal ChargeLewis Structures of IonsRecap - Molecule Builder