Sodium is much more apt to exist as a cation than is chlorine.This is because ________.
A)chlorine is a gas and sodium is a solid
B)chlorine has a greater electron affinity than sodium does
C)chlorine is bigger than sodium
D)chlorine has a greater ionization energy than sodium does
E)chlorine is more metallic than sodium

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Chlorine has a greater ionization energy than sodium does. This means that it is more difficult to remove an electron from chlorine than it is from sodium. As a result, chlorine is more likely to exist as an anion (with a negative charge) than as a cation (with a positive charge).

Sodium Is Much More Apt to Exist as a Cation