Question

Find the elements sodium, oxygen, and phosphorus on the periodic table. Describe the monoatomic ions each would form. Then, given what you know about chemical bonding, describe and give the formulas for the types of ionic compounds they would produce with each other.

Answer 1

Sodium would form Na+

Oxygen would form O-2

Phosphorus would form -3 or +5

Sodium and oxygen would combine to form ionic bonds because one is a metal and the other is non-metal, while Phosporus and oxygen would combine to form covalent bonds because they are both non-metals.

Answer 2

1) Sodim will form cation Na⁺.

Electron configuration of sodium atom: ₁₁Na 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹.

Sodium lost one valence electron to form cation with stable electron configuration as noble gas neon (atomic number 10).

2) Oxygen will form anion O²⁻.

Electron configuration of oxygen atom: ₈O 1s² 2s² 2p⁴.

Oxygen gain two valence electron to form anion with stable electron configuration as noble gas neon (atomic number 10).

3) Phosphorus will form cations P³⁺ and P⁵⁺, anion P³⁻.

Electron configuration for phosphorus: ₁₅ 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p³.

Phosphorus lost five valence electron to form cation with stable electron configuration as noble gas neon (atomic number 10).

4) Ionic comounds: Na₂O (sodium oxide), Na₃P (sodium phosphide), Na₃PO₃ (sodium phosphite), Na₃PO₄ (sodium phosphate).