A neutral sodium must lose one electron in order for the resulting sodium ion to have the same electron configuration as an atom of the element neon.
Sodium, like other metals, does not gain electrons, it loses electrons. Normally a sodium atom would lose only one electron in order to reach a stable electron configuration, becoming the Na+1 ion.
When a sodium atom loses an electron in its outer shell, it forms a positively charged sodium ion (Na+). This process happens in order to achieve a stable electron configuration similar to that of a noble gas, which typically have a full outer shell of electrons.
The cation Na+.
Sulfur needs to gain 2 electrons to have the electon configuration of Argon
Sodium is very reactive because it has one electron in its outer shell, which it readily donates in order to achieve a stable electron configuration. Fluorine is very reactive because it has one empty spot in its outer shell, so it readily accepts an electron from other elements to complete its shell. Neon, on the other hand, has a full outer shell of electrons, making it very stable and unreactive.
The atomic number of Sodium is 11 (2,8,1), so there is one electron in the outer-most shell. As soon as sodium looses this outer-most one electron, it acquires the stable most structure with a 2,8. That';s why sodium ion is stabler than sodium metal. The electronic configuration of a sodium ion is 2,8. Same thing happens with Chlorine. The electronic configuration of chlorine is 2,8,7. Chlorine needs just one electron to stabilize itself with a configuration of 2,8,8. When the chlorine atom gains one electron, it forms the chlorine ion which has the configuration 2,8,8 which is stable.
Two electrons are needed to fill the outer shell of a sodium atom. The outer shell for sodium is the 3s sublevel. A neutral sodium atom has one electron in its 3s sublevel. Since atoms undergo chemical bonding in order to gain a noble gas electron configuration, called an octet, sodium atoms will lose their single 3s electron, becoming sodium atoms with a 1+ charge. By doing this, sodium ions become isoelectric with the noble gas neon, and achieve an octet, becoming stable.
In sodium chloride, sodium (Na) loses an electron to chlorine (Cl). Sodium donates an electron to chlorine in order to achieve a stable electron configuration, forming a sodium cation (Na+) and a chloride anion (Cl-).
Sodium is an element which has one electron in its outer electron shell, and which can obtain a more stable electron configuration by getting rid of that electron. This causes it to undergo chemical reactions with other elements such as oxygen or chlorine, which need to acquire electrons in order to obtain a more stable electron configuration. If sodium reacts with water, it is reacting with the oxygen in the water molecule. In the case of sodium chloride, the sodium has already reacted with chlorine to form that compound, and has given up its outer electron, so it no longer needs to react with oxygen in water.
Sodium must lose one electron to achieve a stable octet configuration since it has 11 protons and would complete its outer shell to achieve the stable electron configuration of the nearest noble gas, neon, with 10 electrons.
Sodium, like other metals, does not gain electrons, it loses electrons. Normally a sodium atom would lose only one electron in order to reach a stable electron configuration, becoming the Na+1 ion.
When a sodium atom loses an electron in its outer shell, it forms a positively charged sodium ion (Na+). This process happens in order to achieve a stable electron configuration similar to that of a noble gas, which typically have a full outer shell of electrons.
The cation Na+.
Sodium is an alkali metal. All alkali metals have 1 electron in the valence shell. This means that the "desired state" is to have a full valence shell configuration. So, in order for sodium and other alkali metals to reach this state, it has to LOSE one electron, making it a positive ion (cation).
Sulfur needs to gain 2 electrons to have the electon configuration of Argon
Sodium is electropositive because its atomic configuration is (2,8,1). In order to be octate it should loose its last electrone from last orbit to another elements 0r atom.
Sodium is very reactive because it has one electron in its outer shell, which it readily donates in order to achieve a stable electron configuration. Fluorine is very reactive because it has one empty spot in its outer shell, so it readily accepts an electron from other elements to complete its shell. Neon, on the other hand, has a full outer shell of electrons, making it very stable and unreactive.