Edexcel IGCSE Chemistry 1.37 ion formation

Practise ion-formation questions by drawing ion electron arrangements, naming cations or anions and linking charge to electrons.

Exam points

Describe electron loss or gain when atoms form cations or anions in ionic bonding.
Draw ion electron arrangements from atom diagrams and add the correct charges.
Link ion charge to the difference between numbers of protons and electrons.

[Maximum number: 3]

This is a question about metals and their compounds.

In the absence of air, magnesium reacts with sulfur to form the ionic compound magnesium sulfide, MgS

Describe, in terms of electrons, the formation of the ions in magnesium sulfide.

Give the charges on the ions.

M1 magnesium (atom) loses two electrons

M2 sulfur (atom) gains two electrons (from magnesium)

M3 charge on magnesium (ion) $2^{+} / \mathrm{Mg}^{2+}$ AND charge on sulfur/sulfide (ion) $\quad 2^{-} / \mathrm{S}^{2-}$

two electrons
transferred from
magnesium (atom) to
sulfur (atom) scores M1
and M2

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1.37 Ion formation question 1