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A cation has had electrons removed. So, although cations and their parent atoms have the same number of protons in the nucleus they have a different number (lower) of electrons. This means the same number of protons pulls the smaller number of electrons closer to the nucleus and so the remaining electrons are more tightly bound by the nucleus and hence the reduction in size.

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How do the sizes of cations and anions relate to the atoms they form from?

Cations are formed when atoms lose electrons and hence are smaller in size than the corresponding atoms. Anions are formed when atoms gain electrons and hence are larger in size than the corresponding atoms.


What are smaller cations or anions?

cations are smaller than the atoms from which they were formed because they lost an electron thus becoming smaller in size. anions are bigger than the atoms from which they were formed because they gained an electron and increasing in size. the greater the nuclear charge, the smaller they are. Source(s):general chemistry 4th edition textbook


What conclusions can we make about the size of cations neutral atoms and anions?

Cations are smaller then neutral atoms and anions are larger.


What are the properties of cations?

Cations are positively charged ions that are formed when an atom loses electrons. They are smaller than their parent atoms due to the loss of electrons, and they are attracted to the cathode in electrolysis. Cations play a crucial role in various chemical reactions and in the functioning of biological systems.


Positive ions form when?

Positive ions (or cations) are formed when atoms lose electrons


What do you get if an atom gains or loses protons?

If atoms gain electrons, negatively charged anions are formed. If atoms lose electrons, positively charged cations are formed.


What type of bond if formed if atoms donate electrons to other atoms when the elements are combined?

Cations donate atoms to form an ionic bond.


How are the smaller atoms formed?

the bigger atoms exploded making much smaller ones


Cations are formed by?

Cations are formed by atoms losing electrons, resulting in a positively charged ion. This occurs when atoms from metals and certain nonmetals give up electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. The loss of electrons creates a deficiency of negative charge, leading to a positive charge on the cation.


Why are cation always smaller than the atoms from which they are formed?

Cations are positive ions formed by the loss of electrons. As cations have less number of electrons, the effective nuclear charge increases and as such,the remaining electrons are more tightly bound by the nucleus and there is a reduction in size. In most of the cases, the parent atom loses all the valence electrons in order to form a cation leading to the reduction of one shell(the valence shell).


What is the ending for the names of negative ions formed when atoms gain electrons?

anions. Cations are the positive ion formed by shedding an electron.


What type of bond is formed if atoms donate electrons to other atoms when the elements are combined?

Cations donate atoms to form an ionic bond.