Science Grade 9 Handout 2 (for STE and First Section Regular)

Ion Formation and Lewis Electron Dot Structure

Ion Formation

• Ion is an atom or group of atoms that has either positive or a negative charge.
• Ions are charged substances that have formed through the gain or loss of
electrons to become stable. It is charged because it contains unequal
number of protons and electrons. All atoms have a neutral charge because
they have an equal number of protons and electrons.
• Electrons are negatively charged particles of atoms.
• Protons are positively charged particles of atoms.
• An atom is stable when the valence shell is full.
• Valence electrons refers to an electron of an atom,
located in the outermost shell (valence shell) of an atom
that can be transferred to or shared with another atom.
*When an atom loses one * When an atom gains or
more electrons it one or more electrons
becomes positive it become negative
 A metal atom that has lost
electrons (cation) and a
nonmetal atom that has gained
electrons (anion) will have the
same number of electrons as its
nearest noble gas.
A metal atom that has lost
electrons (cation) will have the
same number of electrons as its
nearest noble gas.

HOW TO WRITE SYMBOLS FOR IONS

 1. Write the symbol of the element and show the ion charge as a superscript to the right of the element
symbol. Example: the symbol of a sodium ion is Na+1
 When an ion has a charge of 1+ or 1- the symbol has no number inthe superscript.
Example: potassium ion is K+ and not K1+

Explain how ions are formed by filling up the table below.

Atomic Number of Cation/ Gaining/
Element Number Ion electrons Anion Losing
Ex. sodium 11 Na+ 10 cation losing
1.aluminum 13 Al3+ cation
2.sulfur 16 18 gaining
3.rubidium 37 Rb+ cation
4.iodine 53 54 gaining
5.boron 5 B3+ cation
6.barium 56 Ba2+ cation
7.strontium 38 36 losing
8.oxygen 8 O2- anion
9.cadmium 48 Cd2+ losing
10.fluorine 9 F- anion

Note: A metal atom that has lost electrons (cation +) and a nonmetal atom
that has gained electrons (anion -). Atom with less than 4 valence electrons
tend to lose electrons and more than 4 valence electron tend to gain
electrons.
Lewis Structure
Everything around you is held together by chemical bonds from the molecules that
make up your body and the salt you put on your food to the chair you’re sitting on. Atoms
always strive to attain the most stable arrangement of electrons.
 Bonding by transfer of electrons is ionic bonding. Remember that this chemical bond only exists
between metals and non-metals and that you need to consider metals from Groups 1 and 2 and the non-
metals from the halogen group (Group 7). The best way in choosing the combination that will form ionic
bond is by computing the electronegativity difference between the two elements. A combination which
has an electronegativity difference of above 1.9 will result to ionic Bond.
The Lewis Structure
Electrons are located further outside of the nucleus of an atom (see atoms of Na and
F below). When atoms combine to form compounds, the first sub-atomic particles in the
atom to interact are the electrons. The result of these electron interactions is called chemical
bonds. These chemical bonds are called ionic and covalent bonds. The ionic bond result
from a transfer of electrons from one species (usually a metal) to another (usually a nonmetal
or polyatomic ion). On the other hand, covalent bonds result from a sharing of electrons by
two or more atoms (usually nonmetals). This idea was the basis for the formation of the Lewis
structure proposed by Gilbert Newton Lewis.

Na F

The Bohr diagram of Sodium and Fluorine. The blue dot is the neutron, yellow is the proton, and
the red dot are the electrons.

Lewis structure or the electron-dot structure utilizes the valence electron and is
represented by a dot. Take note that the valence electrons are located in the outermost
energy level (n) and these are the ones that will interact first during a chemical reaction. As
discussed, elements tend to give off or accept an electron to be stable or to be a noble-gas
configuration statement is commonly known as the octet rule.

You might be wondering why the oxidation number of group 18 or noble gases is equal to zero.
This is due to stability; the energy level of each noble gas is already fully filled by electrons.
That is why noble gases are highly unreactive and do not want to give off or accept
electrons in forming a chemical bond. In addition, noble gases usually exist in nature as
monoatomic.
Lewis structure for monoatomic element:

Monatomic or monoatomic elements are elements that are stable as single

atoms. Mon- or Mono- means one. In order for an element to be stable by itself, it needs to
have a stable octet of valence electrons.
Example 1. The Lewis structure of the following monoatomic atom are:
a. Magnesium (Mg):

Mg - 2 dots, since Mg belong to group 2, its valence electron is 2.

b. Fluorine (F):

- 7 dots, since F belongs to group 17, its valence electron is 7.

The table below makes it easier to identify the number of valence electrons
corresponding to a group. In addition, based on the valence electron, we can also predict
the charge or the oxidation number/state of the elements. It’s worth noting that metals tend
to give off electrons to be stable and once it gives off, it becomes a positive charge. In
contrast, non-metals tend to accept electrons to be stable and become a negative
charge.

Take note that the valence electron of transition metals varies and will not be included
here. This is due to the overlapping of atomic orbitals.

Group No. Valence Number of Dots Oxidation No.

Electron/s
1 1 1 +1
2 2 2 +2
3 – 12
Transition - - -
metals)
13 3 3 +3
14 4 4 ±4
15 5 5 -3
16 6 6 -2
17 7 7 -1
18 8 8 0

Lewis structure for Binary ionic compound:

Binary ionic compounds are compounds containing two distinct atoms and forming a bond.
Since it is an ionic compound, it contains a metal that lose/s its electron/s and a non-metal
that accept/s an electron/s.

Example 2. For a binary ionic compound, the following are corresponding Lewis
structures.

a. Sodium fluoride (NaF):

- The Lewis structure of NaF, notice
that as it become an ionic
compound, the Na gives 1 electron
and F accepts 1 electron. These
makes + and – charges on Na and
F respectively.

b. Calcium chloride (CaCl2):

- The Lewis structure of CaCl2,
notice Ca has 2 valence electrons
and Cl has 7. Ca must give all of its
electron to be stable and Cl needs

1. To accommodate, another Cl is
need. That is why the chemical
formula is CaCl2.

There are ions that contain covalent bonds, covalent bond contains a shared electron
and is represented by a line. This is in order for the atoms to satisfy their octet. One line (─)
also known as single bonds shares 2 electrons, 2 lines (═) or double bonds share 4
electrons, and triple bonds (≡) share 6 electrons.

Covalent bond also called a molecular bond. It is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electron
pairs between atoms. It forms when the bonded atoms have a lower total energy than that of widely
separated atoms. The electron pairs are known as shared pairs or bonding pairs, and the stable balance
of attractive and repulsive forces between atoms, when they share electrons