An ion is an atom or molecule which has gained or lost one or more electrons.
Sodium wants to lose an electron as it has one electron in its outer shell and prefers a full outer shell.
Chlorine wants to gain an electron as it has seven electrons in its outer shell and prefers a full outer shell.
If sodium and chlorine get together, a chemical reaction happens and sodium gives an electron to chlorine, becoming a positive ion and chlorine becomes a negative ion.
In a sodium atom, if the outer shell is full, there are no dots or crosses, but with a plus to show that it has a positive charge, a dot and cross diagram is drawn.
The charge of a fluorine ion, F-, is represented by a cross, as the shell is full.
A bond will be weakest when there is only single charges and the ions are large.
A bond will be strongest when there is more charge and the ions are smaller.
Chlorine is in group seven, so eight minus seven is one, resulting in Cl-.
Polyatomic ions include CO3 2- (carbonate), SO4 2- (sulfate), NO3- (nitrate), and OH- (hydroxide).
The strength of an ionic bond depends on the charge of the ions and their size.
For the ions of metals, a dot and cross diagram is drawn if the outer shell is full, but if the outer shell is not full, either a dot or a cross can be used to represent the electrons.
If the outer shell of a non-metal atom like chlorine is full, no dots or crosses are drawn, but with a plus to show that it has a negative charge, a dot and cross diagram is drawn.
Negative ions are called anions, while positive ions are called cations.
Ionic compounds have giant structures with millions and millions of positive and negative ions all sticking together when solid.
Positive ions, or cations, are named according to the element they come from, for example, Na+ for sodium, Be2+ for beryllium, Al3+ for aluminium.
Negative ions, or anions, are named according to the element they come from, for example, Cl- for chlorine, Br- for bromine, I- for iodine.
In a dot and cross diagram, if the outer shell is full, no dots or crosses are drawn, but with a plus to show that it has a positive charge, a dot and cross diagram is drawn.