Why do atoms of metals form cations?
Answers:
a metal due to its electron shell configuration waants to give up electrons (this is so it can own a full outer shell). The loss of electrons makes it a positively charged ion
The electronic configuration of metal showed that the electrons in the outer shell can be transfer eaisly because of their low ionization potential ( the perkiness required to remove the electron ) while non metal have a higher ionization poetential , taking within concederation the size of atom , which comes bigger from left to right in the length of periodic table.
Metals are bigger than non metals, so the valence electrons for metals are farther away from the nucleus. For main group metals like the alkali metals and the alkaline top soil elements, there are only one or two valence electrons. These electrons are shielded by the core electrons, which primarily decrease the nuclear charge that the valence electrons feel. If we look at Na for example, its electron configuration is 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^1. The lone electron on the 3s orbitals does not quality a +11 charge from the nucleus of sodium, it feels a smaller charge, since the inner core electrons (10 electrons), shield the full charge from that electron, the shielding is not perfect, but still, that electron feel a charge of around 2.3, instead of the full +11, so it can be removed easily. As we proceed to the nonmetals, the electrons are entering into the same subshell, so, for Cl, for example, 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^5, the most exposed electrons, the 3p^5 subshell feel a much higher nuclear charge than the 3s^1 electron on sodium, since the nuclear charge is now +17 and within are only 12 electrons in front of them. Even if those 12 electrons could shield the nuclear charge completely, the powerful nuclear charge that the 5 electrons on the 3p subshell is +5, much higher than in sodium. So Cl is smaller than Na and and so more difficult to ionize. When we go through the transition metals, the d electrons are not good shielders of charge and truly the size of the transition metals is fairly constant, so they are also easy to ionize.
For largest group metals, achieving an electron configuration that is alike as a noble gas is an incentive for ionization, for transition metals, there are electron configurations that are awfully stable for the cations since they maximize the number of electrons having the same spin, so they ionize.
Hope it help. Source(s): Me (University Chem Professor)
At the simplest level adjectives metals have partially bursting quantum energy levels. Elements take action to form more stable compunds with full energy level (as many electrons as can fit). Metals lose electrons instead of gain them because they have with the sole purpose a few electrons typically 1 2 or 3 in the outer energy even. It is easier to lose these than gain 7 6 or 5.
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