Question

Which element is most likely to form a cation? sodium, silicon, sulfur, argon

Answer 1

Answer:

Sodium

Explanation:

• To answer the question we need to know a few things.

What are cations?

• Cations are positively charged ions that are formed when an atom of an element loses an electron(s).

What elements form cations?

• Metallic elements form cations since they react by losing electrons thus forming ions with a positive charge.
• For example, alkali metals such as sodium form cations with a charge of +1.
• In this case, sodium will form a cation with a charge of + 1, Na⁺

What are negatively charged ions?

• Negatively charged ions are known as anions.
• They are formed by non-metallic elements such as sulfur, argon, silicon, etc.