@keet.science: Have you ever noticed that table salt is made from a reactive metal and a poisonous gas? How do sodium and chlorine become a safe, stable compound? The process begins when one electron moves between them. Electrons are negatively charged particles found around an atom’s positively charged center, called the nucleus. The electrons farthest from the nucleus are called valence electrons. They take part in chemical bonds because the atom holds them less tightly than its inner electrons. A sodium atom has eleven electrons: two in its first layer, eight in its second, and one valence electron in its outer layer. A chlorine atom has seventeen: two, eight, and seven. Chlorine has room for one more electron in its outer layer. When the atoms react, sodium’s outer electron transfers to chlorine. Removing that electron requires energy because sodium’s positive nucleus attracts it. However, chlorine releases energy when it accepts the electron, and even more energy is released when the resulting charged particles assemble into salt. After losing one negative electron, sodium has one more proton than electrons, giving it a positive charge. It becomes a sodium ion, written Na-plus. After gaining that electron, chlorine has one more electron than protons, giving it a negative charge. It becomes a chloride ion, written Cl-minus. Opposite electric charges attract, so the sodium and chloride ions pull toward each other. This attraction is called an ionic bond. In solid salt, each ion attracts several oppositely charged neighbors, creating a repeating three-dimensional structure called a crystal lattice. Sodium does not intentionally “give” chlorine an electron. The transfer happens because the final arrangement of charged ions in the crystal has less stored chemical energy and is therefore more stable than the separate atoms. Learn more like this on Keet #chemistry #learning #learningontiktok #education #Science

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Wednesday 19 August 2026 22:58:05 GMT