A cation has 28 neutrons and 21 electrons. If it has a +3 charge, what is its correct symbol?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A cation with 28 neutrons and 21 electrons has an atomic number of 28 - 21 = 7. Adding the +3 charge means that it has lost 3 electrons, leaving it with only 18 electrons. The symbol for an element with 7 protons is N, and the symbol for a N3- ion with 18 electrons is N3-. To indicate that this is a cation with a +3 charge, we need to remove 3 electrons, leaving us with N3-2e- --> N, which has a +3 charge. Therefore, the correct symbol is N3+.

A Cation Has 28 Neutrons and 21 Electrons