Question

three difference between sodium ion and sodium atom

Answer 1

•Sodium ion has obtained a stable electronic configuration by giving out one electron from the sodium atom. Therefore, sodium ion has one electron less than the sodium ion.

• In other words, the valence shell/ last shell of sodium atom has only one electron. But in sodium ion the last shell has 8 electrons.

• Sodium ion has a +1 charge whereas sodium atom is neutral.

• Sodium atom is very reactive; therefore, won’t find free in nature.  It exists as sodium ions in a compound.

• Because of the release of one electron, the sodium ion radius differs from the atomic radius.

• Sodium ion is attracted to negatively charged electrodes, but sodium atom is not.

• The first ionization energy of sodium atom is very low compared to the ionization energy of sodium +1 ion.