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Every atom has a positively charged nucleus containing protons, each with a 1+ charge. Electrons, each with a -1 charge surround the nucleus. In a neutral atom the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons, so there is no net charge. If an atom loses electrons it will have more protons than electrons resulting in an overall positive charge.

For example, a neutral magnesium atom has 12 protons and 12 electrons, resulting in an ion with 12 protons and 10 electrons. Since there are two more protons than electrons in this ion, the overall charge is 2+

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What are differences between atom and ion?

An atom has no charge. An ion is an atom that has either gained or lost an electron giving it a charge. An atom that has gained an electron is called an anion and is negative, while an atom that lost an electron is called a cation and is positive.


What difference between atom and ion?

An atom has no charge. An ion is an atom that has either gained or lost an electron giving it a charge. An atom that has gained an electron is called an anion and is negative, while an atom that lost an electron is called a cation and is positive.


What is an atom that has lost or gained an electron and now carries a positive or negative charge called?

I believe the answer your looking for in an Ion.An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge.


What can you infer about ion that has an positive charge?

This ion is derived from atom who lost one electron.


What does it mean when a atom has a charge of plus 1?

When an atom has a charge of plus 1, it means that it has lost one electron, resulting in a positive charge. This atom is now called a cation due to its positive charge, and it will likely seek to gain an electron to achieve a stable electron configuration.


The removal of an electron results to what charge?

+1. Because an atom normally has an equal number of protons and electrons, it is neutral. By removing a negative (the electron), the atom is then positive. The more electrons you remove, the more positive the atom becomes. Then, it is called an ion, such as Cu is copper, but Cu2+ is a copper(II) ion; it is a copper atom that has lost two electrons.


When a atom has a positive or negative charge beause it lost or gained an electron is a?

An atom has a postitive charge when it loses an electron and a negative when it gains one. It then becomes an ion through this process.


What kind of charge would a sodium atom have if it lost one electron?

Sodium become a cation (positive charge) - Na+.


What is an atom that has given up or gained electrons?

Atoms that have lost or gained one or more electrons are called ions.An atom that has gained and electron is an anion; and atom that has lost an electron is a cation. Gaining an electron means the anion has a negative charge; losing one or more electrons means the atom has a positive charge.


If an atom gives up an electron does it it have a positive charge?

Yes. It becomes a cation (a positive ion). Yes. Each positively charged proton in the nucleus must be cancelled out by a negatively charged electron, or else any noncancelled proton's positive charge will give its atom a positive charge. Likewise the atom that gains the lost electron will have more negatives than positives and will gain a negative charge.


What is the charge of a sodium atom that has lost 1 electron why?

The charge of a sodium atom that has lost 1 electron is +1. This is because sodium normally has 11 protons and 11 electrons, but when it loses 1 electron, it now has 11 protons and 10 electrons, resulting in a net positive charge of +1.


A sodium ion differs from a sodium atom in that the sodium ion?

A sodium ion differs from a sodium atom in that the sodium ion has a missing electron electron. It has a positive charge, as opposed to the atom, which is neutral.