[dustin_47]

Hey guys, im new here and i have a final tomorrow for chemistry...

any ways, i have a question,


if copper forms an ion, what would the charge(s) be? also i need to write an ion formation equation to show how a copper atom forms its ions, can anyone help with this?


thanks in advance ^^

[Yggdrasil]

When atoms form ions, they either gain electrons to become anions or lose electrons to become cations.  Based on what you know about copper, does it gain or lose electrons?

[IITian]

If it looses electrons then it can form:

Cu⁰ - 2e = Cu²⁺

It can also form Cu(I) salts by giving off 1electron

[Yggdrasil]

It's more correct to write:

Cu⁰ --> Cu²⁺ + 2 e^-

Chemists prefer not to use subtraction signs in chemical equations because this would seem to go against the idea of conservation of mass.

[IITian]

I don't think it goes aginst the conservation of mass principle, but it's more conventional.