Determine the charge of the ion tungsten ion with 68 electrons
The correct answer and explanation is :
The charge of the tungsten ion with 68 electrons can be determined by understanding the relationship between the number of protons, neutrons, electrons, and the overall charge of the ion.
Step 1: Identify the atomic number of tungsten
The atomic number of tungsten (W) is 74. This number represents the number of protons in an atom of tungsten. In a neutral atom, the number of protons is equal to the number of electrons.
Step 2: Determine the charge
The number of protons in a neutral tungsten atom is 74. The ion in question has 68 electrons, which is less than the 74 electrons of a neutral tungsten atom. A loss of electrons results in a positive charge. To determine the charge:
- Number of protons: 74
- Number of electrons in the ion: 68
The difference between the protons and electrons is:
[ 74 – 68 = 6 ]
Since there are 6 fewer electrons than protons, the charge of the ion is +6. Therefore, the tungsten ion with 68 electrons has a charge of +6.
Step 3: Conclusion
This ion is a W⁶⁺ ion, meaning it has a positive charge of +6 due to the loss of 6 electrons. When an atom loses electrons, it becomes positively charged because there are more protons (positively charged) than electrons (negatively charged).
Visual Representation
The following diagram illustrates the concept of protons, neutrons, and electrons in a tungsten ion with a +6 charge.
Here is the diagram illustrating the tungsten atom (W) with 74 protons, 74 neutrons, and 68 electrons. This shows the W⁶⁺ ion with a charge of +6. The diagram highlights the difference between the number of protons and electrons, which results in the positive charge of the ion.