Question

Read the following sentences. Rewrite in a separate sheet of paper.

1. It is important to recognize that ions are always formed by removing electrons from an atom (to form cations) or adding electrons (to form anions). Ions are never formed by changing the number of protons in an atom's nucleus.

2. It is very important to remember that a chemical compound must have a net charge of zero. This means that if a compound contains ions, then

a. There must be both positive ions (cations) and negative ions (anions) present.
b. The numbers of cations and anions must be such that the net is charge zero.​

Answer 1

Here are the correct sentences.

What are cations and anions and how are they formed?

• Cations are formed by removing an electron from an atom whereas anions are formed by adding an electron in an atom of an element.
• cations are positively charged while anions are negatively charged particles.
• A chemical compound is formed by the combination of anions and cations and has a net charge on it.
• To have a net charge, a compound must have the number of anions and cations in an equal ratio.