Al3+ ion has _______________number of electrons and protons Question 42 options: 1) 13 electrons, 14 protons 2) 10 electrons, 13 protons 3) 13 electrons, 10 protons 4) 10 electrons, 10 protons
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is option 2) 10 electrons, 13 protons.
Explanation:
The Al³⁺ ion is a positively charged ion of aluminum. To understand the number of protons and electrons in the Al³⁺ ion, we first need to know the following about a neutral aluminum (Al) atom:
- Atomic number of aluminum (Al): 13.
This means a neutral aluminum atom has 13 protons in its nucleus. Since atoms are neutral, the number of electrons also equals the number of protons, so a neutral Al atom has 13 electrons. - Charge of Al³⁺: The Al³⁺ ion is formed when a neutral aluminum atom loses three electrons. This is because the positive charge (3+) indicates that it has lost three negatively charged electrons. As a result, the number of electrons in the Al³⁺ ion becomes 10 (13 protons – 3 electrons).
Therefore:
- Protons: Since the aluminum atom’s atomic number is 13, it always has 13 protons, regardless of whether it is in the neutral or ionized state.
- Electrons: The Al³⁺ ion has lost three electrons, so it only has 10 electrons.
To summarize, the Al³⁺ ion has:
- 13 protons
- 10 electrons
The ion’s net positive charge arises from the loss of three electrons, leaving it with a positive charge of +3.
