Positive ions are formed when electrons are lost, for example, Potassium ion, K⁺ is formed when a Potassium atom, K losses one electron. A neutral atom of Potassium (K) has 19 protons and 19 electrons, and a positive ion of Potassium (K⁺) has 19 protons and 18 electrons.
Ions are charged particles formed when neutral atoms loss or gain electrons. When electrons are lost, positively charged particles called cations are formed, and when electrons are gained, negatively charged particles called anions are formed. Electropositive elements are more likely to form cations. Potassium (K) losses one electron in order to obtain a stable configuration, forming Potassium ion (K⁺).
For all neutral atoms, the number of protons is always equal to the number of electrons. The number of protons is the same as the atomic number. Potassium (K) has an atomic number of 19, thus it has 19 protons. Since Potassium (K) atom is a neutral atom, it will also have 19 electrons.
However, Potassium ion (K⁺) has lost one of its electrons, so it will have 18 electrons instead of 19. Therefore, Potassium (K) has 19 protons and 19 electrons, while Potassium ion (K⁺) has 19 protons and 18 electrons.
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