Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this video, we explore whether isotopes can also be ions. Starting with chlorine as an example, we know that chlorine always has 17 protons because that defines the element. However, the number of neutrons can vary. For instance, chlorine can have 18 neutrons, making it chlorine-35, or 20 neutrons, making it chlorine-37. These are both isotopes of chlorine, as they have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
In terms of ions, both isotopes can gain one electron to complete their octet when they bond with another element, like sodium. Sodium would lose one electron, and when chlorine gains that electron, it becomes negatively charged because electrons are negatively charged. The sodium atom would be a positive ion, Na+.
So, both chlorine-35 and chlorine-37 can become negative ions (Cl⁻). In this case, you'd have chloride-35 as a negative ion and chloride-37 as a negative ion. Therefore, isotopes can indeed also be ions!
Chlorine Bohr Diagram Image:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/17_chlorine_%28Cl%29_Bohr_model.png
Ahazard.sciencewriter, CC BY-SA 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In this video, we explore whether isotopes can also be ions. Starting with chlorine as an example, we know that chlorine always has 17 protons because that defines the element. However, the number of neutrons can vary. For instance, chlorine can have 18 neutrons, making it chlorine-35, or 20 neutrons, making it chlorine-37. These are both isotopes of chlorine, as they have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
In terms of ions, both isotopes can gain one electron to complete their octet when they bond with another element, like sodium. Sodium would lose one electron, and when chlorine gains that electron, it becomes negatively charged because electrons are negatively charged. The sodium atom would be a positive ion, Na+.
So, both chlorine-35 and chlorine-37 can become negative ions (Cl⁻). In this case, you'd have chloride-35 as a negative ion and chloride-37 as a negative ion. Therefore, isotopes can indeed also be ions!
Chlorine Bohr Diagram Image:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/17_chlorine_%28Cl%29_Bohr_model.png
Ahazard.sciencewriter, CC BY-SA 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
