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What is the charge on the nitrate ion (NO_3)?
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2. Atoms & Elements
Ions
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When an atom loses an electron, it becomes a:
A
cation
B
neutral atom
C
isotope
D
anion
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Understand the definitions of the terms involved: a neutral atom has equal numbers of protons and electrons; an isotope refers to atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons; an anion is a negatively charged ion formed by gaining electrons; a cation is a positively charged ion formed by losing electrons.
Recall that electrons carry a negative charge, so when an atom loses an electron, it loses negative charge, resulting in a net positive charge.
Since losing an electron causes the atom to have more protons than electrons, the atom becomes positively charged.
A positively charged ion is called a cation, so the atom that loses an electron becomes a cation.
Therefore, the correct term for an atom that loses an electron is a cation.
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