[Beasticly]

Ok, so I've just started on Chem this year.

I have a question asking me if the atom 'Na' would gain or lose electrons when forming ions. I thought that the atoms rings, are 2, 8, 8. I know Na has 10 electrons because Na has a charge of +1 and has 11 protons, meaning that the electrons have to be 1 less than the protons, so, 10.

To me, this means that both the 1st and 2nd ring of the atom are full, and the atom is happy and does not want to gain or lose any electrons. Can someone please explain to me weather it should lose or gain electrons to form an ion. The way I see it, it can either lose 8 or gain 8 which is both equally as hard.

The next part of the question asks what is the most likely ion to form, which I'm guessing would be either cation or anion although I'm not sure how to figure that out..

Thanks in advance.

[Yggdrasil]

When one talks of atoms, you assume that there are an equal number of protons and electrons.  So sodium atoms (Na) have 11 electrons.  So, you've already answered your question since sodium ions (Na⁺) have 10 electrons and have two full shells of electrons.

[rjtheone]

First, Na has 11 electrons and 11 protons. Its ionic charge is +1 because it loses 1 electron to become a positively charge ion, Na^+1 ( 11+ (-10)= +1). Na loses an electron because it's way easier to lose 1 electron than to gain 7 to satisfy the octet rule.

[Beasticly]

Ah, so every atom starts of with equal protons and electrons but then tries to either lose or gain electrons so the rings are full?

[Yggdrasil]

Yup.

[constant thinker]

Tip: It helps to write out the electronic configuration sometimes.

Na: [Ne]3s¹ (short hand version) or 1s²2s²2p⁶3s¹ (long hand)

The short hand version is nice because it shows only valence electrons, but the long hand shows you all the other electrons. I used to do this when I first started to learn chemistry quite a few years ago.

Note: This is only good for simple atoms like Na. Also don't rely on it much. Use it as an aid when you first start to learn like I did. Many atoms have multiple oxidation states.

[AWK]

There is known one example where Na can gain 1 electron (Na- H+-complexed)

[Yggdrasil]

I have a friend who works with alkali metal anions.  Apparently, in solution (I think he uses THF as a solvent), sodium metal will disolve to form:

2 Na(s) <--> Na⁺ + Na^-

By adding crown ethers to complex the Na⁺, you can drive the equilibrium to favor the formation of a decently high concentration of Na^- (high enough to do spectroscopy on, at least).