Help calculating charge of Cl- and K+ ions

In summary, The conversation discusses determining the electric force between K+ and Cl- ions using Coulomb's Law. The charge of each ion is determined to be +1e and -1e, respectively, and the charge in coulombs is calculated using the charge of an electron. The conversation ends with a thank you and an apology for overthinking the problem.
  • #1
runran
6
0
Sorry if this is a ridiculously simple problem, but I don't get it. The professor didn't give examples of how to do this and it's been years since I've taken science courses. I have to determine the electric force (Coulomb's Law) on the K+ ion due to the Cl- ion 9E-10m away. How do you determine the charge of the K+ and Cl- ions? K(19) has atomic mass 39.0983 and Cl(17) has atomic mass 35.4527... but I don't know where to start with calculations. Please help? Thank you.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
runran said:
Sorry if this is a ridiculously simple problem, but I don't get it. The professor didn't give examples of how to do this and it's been years since I've taken science courses. I have to determine the electric force (Coulomb's Law) on the K+ ion due to the Cl- ion 9E-10m away. How do you determine the charge of the K+ and Cl- ions? K(19) has atomic mass 39.0983 and Cl(17) has atomic mass 35.4527... but I don't know where to start with calculations. Please help? Thank you.

K+ indicates a charge of +1e; Cl- indicates a charge of -1e, where e is the charge of an electron in coulombs. Therefore, the charge on the K+ in coulombs is 1 [itex]\times[/itex] (1.6x10-19). Do you follow?

~H
 
  • #3
O.

I guess I was making it harder than it needed to be. Sorry, that was stupid now. Thank you : )
 
  • #4
runran said:
O.

I guess I was making it harder than it needed to be. Sorry, that was stupid now. Thank you : )

No problem :smile:

~H
 

1. What is the charge of a Cl- ion?

The charge of a Cl- (chloride) ion is -1. This means it has gained one electron and now has a negative charge.

2. What is the charge of a K+ ion?

The charge of a K+ (potassium) ion is +1. This means it has lost one electron and now has a positive charge.

3. How do you calculate the charge of an ion?

The charge of an ion is determined by the number of electrons it has gained or lost. An ion with more protons than electrons will have a positive charge, while an ion with more electrons than protons will have a negative charge.

4. Can the charge of an ion change?

Yes, the charge of an ion can change. This can happen through chemical reactions where ions gain or lose electrons, or through physical processes such as ionization or recombination.

5. How does the charge of Cl- and K+ ions affect their behavior in chemical reactions?

The charge of Cl- and K+ ions affects their behavior in chemical reactions as it determines their reactivity and ability to form bonds with other ions. For example, Cl- ions tend to react with positively charged ions, while K+ ions tend to react with negatively charged ions.

Similar threads

  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
965
  • Biology and Chemistry Homework Help
Replies
6
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
4K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
13
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
6K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
26
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
2K
Back
Top