Both of the ions above are still oxygen, even though one has lost an electron and the other has gained an electron.Explain why each atom has not been changed into a different element.
Question
Both of the ions above are still oxygen, even though one has lost an electron and the other has gained an electron.Explain why each atom has not been changed into a different element.
Solution
The identity of an element is determined by the number of protons in its nucleus, also known as its atomic number. In the case of oxygen, it has 8 protons. When an atom gains or loses electrons, it becomes an ion, but it does not change into a different element. This is because the number of protons remains the same. The loss or gain of electrons only changes the charge of the atom, not its atomic number. Therefore, even though one oxygen atom has lost an electron and the other has gained an electron, they are still oxygen atoms because they still have 8 protons in their nucleus.
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