Question

Explain     the     formation     of  ,  an     ionic
compound  between  metal  and  a  non-metal
by  transfer  of  electrons  with  Mg  as  the
metal  and  Cl  as  a  non-metal  to  illustrate
your  answer.

MSCERT Class 10 General Science Ch8 Understanding Metals and Non Metals

Answer 1

The atomic number of Mg is 12, so its electronic configuration is 2,8,2. Mg atom gives its two valence electrons (to 2 chlorine atoms) and forms a stable magnesium ion, Mg2+.

The atomic number of Cl is 17, so its electronic configuration is 2,8,7. Cl atom has seven valence electrons, so it requires only one more electron to form an octet. Since one Mg atom gives 2 electrons, the two Cl atoms take these two electrons and form two chloride ions.

The positively charged ions of Mg fuse with negatively charged ions of Cl to form a magnesium chloride (MgCl2) compound.