Periodic Table Charges Review - Video Tutorials & Practice Problems

Periodic Table: Charges

Now, the elements of the periodic table will either lose or gain electrons to become just like the noble gasses. Now, remember your noble gasses are the elements that are found in group eight A or group 18. OK. Remember two different ways to describe the same column of the periodic table. The reason these elements want to become the noble gas is because noble gasses themselves have the optimal number of outer shell electrons. What that means specifically, we'll talk about several chapters from now, but just realize when it comes to the elements, they'll either lose or gain electrons so that their number of electron matches one of the nearest noble gasses. Now, we're going to say here when it comes to metals, metals tend to lose electrons to become positively charged ions called C ions here. Just think of it like this CSS at T could represent the positive charge that the ion gains. And it makes sense because if you're losing negatively charged subatomic particles in the form of electrons, you're gonna become more positively charged. Now, metals themselves, metals can have either one type of positive charge or multiple types of positive charges when a metal possesses one charge. We refer to them as type one metals. When metals have multiple charges, then they're referred to as type two metals. We'll go in greater detail on what types of metals are? Type one metals and what other types of metals are? Type two metals. Now, if metals lose electrons, then nonmetals must be gaining electrons. So nonmetals tend to gain electrons to become negatively charged ions called anions. Remember again, this makes sense, I'm gaining negatively charged electrons. So I'm gonna become more negative as a result. So just remember the whole reason elements gain and lose electrons is to become just like the noble gasses. In the next video, we'll see exactly how many electrons will we lose or gain for any particular element?

Periodic Table Charges Review Example

So for this example question, it says from what you know about ion formation in the periodic table, which ion would be unlikely to occur. So before we look at this question, remember, we're gonna say that metals they tend to lose electrons. So if they're gonna lose electrons, they're gonna become positively charged. And remember, nonmetals tend to gain electrons and therefore become negatively charged. So if we take a look here, we have RB looking on a periodic table, we know that RB ha is a metal and therefore it makes sense that it would have a positive charge. So this is a likely uh set up for RB ion. Next oxygen. Oh Oxygen is a nonmetal nonmetals tend tend to gain electrons and become negatively charged. So this is reasonable. MNMN is a metal. Again, metals tend to lose electrons to become positively charged. So that positive charge is a possibility. A lal is aluminum, aluminum is a metal. Again, metals tend to lose electrons to become positively charged. So it doesn't make sense that A L would have a negative three charge here. So this is unlikely. So this would be our answer. Then if we look at the last one. Cl chlorine, chlorine is a non metal. So it makes sense it could gain electrons to become negatively charged. So just remember remember, metals tend to lose electrons to become positively charged nonmetals tend to gain electrons to become negatively charged. OK. Now that we know this fundamental idea, let's move on to our next video where we go into how many electrons do they gain, how many electrons do they lose? And in that way, know what type of ions are possible for certain types of elements.

Main Group Elements

So let's talk about first, our main group elements. Remember your main group elements are the elements found in group one A or group 12 A or group two. And then from three A to eight A or what we call groups 13 to 18, the elements here in the grade out box, those are our transition metals. We'll talk about those later on. But for right now, let's just focus on our main group elements. Now recall that the atomic number which uses the variable z of an atom equals the number of protons within its nucleus. For example, we'd say that beryllium has an atomic number four. So it has four protons for a neutral element. Its number of electrons is equal to its number of protons. So beryllium here has an atomic number four, which means it has four protons. And here, if we're dealing with a neutral element, it'll have the same number of electrons. So it'll also have four electrons. Now, we said that all these elements of the periodic table are all trying to become just like our noble gasses. Our group eight A elements, they have the optimal number of electrons helium has two, neon has 10 argon has 18. And as we go down, these are all their atomic numbers which gives us the number of electrons they have. Now, elements try to gain or lose electrons to match each number of electrons for the normal gasses. So, noble gasses since they're perfect, their, their charge is zero. OK. So they don't have a charge, they don't need to gain or lose electrons. Let's look at group seven A, all the elements of group seven A fluorine. Let's look at f fluorine has nine electrons when it's neutral. If it wants to have 10 electrons like neon, it would have to gain one electron. Chlorine has 17 electrons with neutral to have 18 like argo. Again, it would have to gain one electron. So each element in this column would have to gain one electron to become like the noble gas next to it by gaining that one electron, they would get an a charge. Now of minus one because remember gaining electrons gives us a negative charge. Oxygen, oxygen when neutral has eight electrons to have 10 electrons like neon. How many electrons would it need to gain? If you said two, you'd be right. So same thing with sulfur has 16 and have to gain two electrons to become just like argon. So this group six say its charge is normally negative, two nitrogen has seven. So to get to 10, you'd have to gain three electrons. So this char the charge of this group is normally minus three. Now, of course, uh some of these groups, it gets tricky because in group five, we see that we have nonmetals here. So they have a negative three charge. But then we have metalloid and then we run into metals, metals don't want to have a negative charge, they wanna have a positive charge. So these negative charges when we're referring to them is predominantly with the non metal. The blue species, the elements that are in the blue boxes. Group four is a little bit tricky. So group four is equal distance. Uh either way, what I mean by that is carbon could try to gain four electrons to become like neon or it could try to lose four electrons so that it has two like helium. So it's kind of in a special situation. So as a result of this, we kinda just say non applicable to group four based on the location, the periodic table. Now though we do have an exception that that's a around exception one and this pertains to lead and tin lead and tin are here, SN and PB because of where they're located, how far down they are, they kind of have characteristics similar to transition metals. They can either be plus two or plus four for their charges. So just remember when it comes to tin and lead, they can be plus two or plus four. They're uh interesting situation when it comes to the periodic table and charges. Now, let's look at boron. And the other elements that are within this group, boron is a metalloid metalloid. They have characteristics of both metals and nonmetals. So it's a bit tricky with them. So we won't be talking about boron, but we can talk about the elements below boron. Aluminum all the way down to NH they're all metals. So they all want to lose electrons to become like a noble gas. Now, aluminum here it's atomic number 13. So when it's neutral, it has 13 electrons, it has two choices. It can either try to gain seven electrons to get to it. I mean, not seven, it could try to gain five electrons to have 18 electrons just like argo or it could do something easier than that. Instead of trying to gain five electrons, it could just try to lose three electrons so that it has 10 electrons like neon. And when it comes to chemistry, chemistry, we always go in the path that's easiest and fastest. OK. So it's easier for aluminum to lose three electrons than to loop to gain five electrons. OK? Because it's more spaces that you have to jump to become a noble gas this way easier just to let go of your three electrons. So because of this, this group tends to be plus three for its charge be brillion. Let's look at be brilliant. Beryllium has an atomic number four. So it has two choices. They can either try to what gain six electrons, 123456 to become like neon or do something easier, just lose two electrons so that it has two electrons just like helium. So the easier and shorter path is to lose electrons. So it's this, this group tends to be plus two. Then finally, again, we're talking about the metals. They're the ones who want to lose electrons to become positive heat. Hydrogen is not an a metal. So we don't talk about hydrogen in this regard, but we'd say that lithium could try to gain seven electrons to get to 10 like helium, which is a long distance to cover or the easier thing would be just to lose one electron and become like helium. So this group tends to be plus one. So these are the charges that you need to keep commit to memory when it comes to these different groups, group one, A plus one, group two A plus two, then plus three. Fourth group is not applicable. Group five A is minus three, then minus two, then minus one noble gasses are perfect. So they don't want to gain a charge. Now, exception two, we're gonna say this pertains to our heavy metals of bismuth polonium and those that have atomic numbers from 114 to 118 because of their position on the periodic table. They're a little bit weird and they have multiple types of charges So we tend not to talk about them, but when it comes to main group elements, just keep in mind the major charges that we've listed plus one plus two plus three, minus three minus two minus one. And then of course, your exception one, this is what you need to take away from the main group elements and their various charges.

Periodic Table Charges Review Example

So for this example question, it says, predict a charge that a gallium ion would possess. So we know it has a charge because it's using the term ion. Now, gallium, remember gallium is element symbol is G A gallium itself is in group three A or what we known as group 13. Now remember in this group, it's easier to lose electrons because most of the elements in this group are metals and it's easier for them to lose three electrons in order to be like the nearest noble gas. So here this group 38 normally tends to be plus three in terms of charge because of this option C would be our correct answer.

Which element possesses a -2 charge when it combines with other elements?  

• A. Ca
• B. Mn
• C. P
• D. Se
• E. F

Transition Metals (Type II Metals)

So remember type two metals are metals that possess multiple charges. Now we're gonna say most transition metals have varying positive charges because of their electron arrangements around the nucleus. Now, there's gonna be more advanced explanations for this later on. Uh but we'll discuss them in much later chapters. So just remember when it comes to type two metals, a majority of them are the transition metals, they have multiple charges. So here if we take a look, we have some of the most common types of transition metals. And what we need to realize is that although many of them have multiple charges, there are quite a few that do possess only one charge. So for example, Scandium, which is in group three or three B, it's plus three and there's some similar chemical properties going on for elements within that group because Scandium is plus three, that means the other metals that are in this group with it are also plus three. But then of course, when you look at other transition metals, you're gonna see a bunch of charges like uh manganese, for example, could be plus two plus three plus four plus five or even plus seven. Now, the way we're able to tell which one of these charges manganese will have, will be dependent on the other element it's connected to. We'll learn about that later on. But just realize here that these transition metals are called transition metals because they have a bunch of possible charges. Now, besides the elements in group three B or three, we also have silver cadmium and zinc. Although they're transition metals as well, they also have only one particular charge. So silver, when it's an ion, it's going to be plus one cadmium and zinc, they're both in the same group again. So they're gonna be similar to each other. Both of them will be plus two when they do have a charge. So again, transition metals, uh a lot of them have multiple possible charges. And because of that, they're characterized as being type two metals, some of the transition metals, the ones in red, they possess only one charge. They, they are transition metals, but they're not type two metals because they don't have multiple charges. So keep this in mind when we're confronting different types of transition metals, some have the potential to have multiple charges.

Periodic Table Charges Review Example

So if we look at this example question, it says predict a major charge of an ion if it were discovered to be in period 10 group three B. All right. So something that might jump out at you when you look at this question is the fact that we're talking about a period 10 element. But we know that when we look at a periodic table, there's only seven rows. So our periodic tables only go up to period seven. So where is this period 10 coming from? Well, remember I discussed earlier that the periodic table is dynamic, it changes over time because we are either going to discover new elements or create new elements, the number of roles will over time increase. So there is a chance that we will create an element or maybe there's an element that already exists that is located in period 10. But that's not the important part of this question. The important part is the group that it's in, it's in group three B. So remember we talked about this up up above group three B. This contains the elements scandium and it has a charge of plus three. And we said that there's something special about that group three B, the other medals in that group would also possess a charge of plus three. So here that would mean that option E would be my correct choice. So remember a lot of the transition metals have multiple charges, but there are some patterns that we can observe when looking at different transition metals. One of them being elements from group three B having a charge of plus three.

What is the likely charge of the element with an atomic number of 47?

• A. +4
• B. +3
• C. -1
• D. +1
• E. +2

How many electrons would the cadmium ion possess?  

• A. 50
• B. 48
• C. 46
• D. 52
• E. 30