Net Charge of Fluorine Atom: Is it Possible?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the net charge of a Fluorine atom, which has 9 protons, 10 neutrons, and 20 electrons. The atomic number confirms it as Fluorine, but the excess of electrons raises questions about its charge. The consensus indicates that with 20 electrons, the net charge would be -11, which is not feasible for a Fluorine atom. The correct approach to determining the net charge involves understanding that Fluorine typically seeks to gain one electron to achieve a stable octet, leading to a more realistic net charge of -3 when considering the excess electrons.

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  • Understanding of atomic structure, including protons, neutrons, and electrons.
  • Knowledge of net charge calculation in ions.
  • Familiarity with the concept of valence electrons and electron shells.
  • Basic principles of ionization and atomic stability.
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  • Study the concept of ionization energy and its impact on electron gain/loss.
  • Learn about the electron configuration of Fluorine and its behavior in chemical reactions.
  • Research the stability of ions and how excess electrons affect atomic charge.
  • Explore the periodic trends in electronegativity and their relation to electron affinity.
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Students in chemistry, educators teaching atomic theory, and anyone interested in understanding the behavior of elements and their ions, particularly in relation to Fluorine.

Procrastinate
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This is probably a simple question but it has absolutely annoyed me for a week at University (yes, I know, I am still learning this, laugh away).

I am meant to identify the atom/ion and the net charge of it.

This is the information I am given:

Protons: 9
Neutrons: 10
Electrons: 20

The Atomic Number is quite straightforward - 9. Therefore, it is Fluorine. However what I can't figure out is the net charge - is it even possible for a Fluorine atom to gain 11 more electrons if it needs only to remove 2 valence electrons to pursue a full outer shell?

Otherwise, the net charge would be -5, is this right?
 
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Hi Procrastinate! :smile:
Procrastinate said:
The Atomic Number is quite straightforward - 9. Therefore, it is Fluorine. However what I can't figure out is the net charge - is it even possible for a Fluorine atom to gain 11 more electrons if it needs only to remove 2 valence electrons to pursue a full outer shell?

Yes, I'd be surprised if you could add that many electrons. :confused:
Otherwise, the net charge would be -5, is this right?

I'm fascinated to know how you got -5. :smile:
 
tiny-tim said:
Hi Procrastinate! :smile:
I'm fascinated to know how you got -5. :smile:

When you add all the electrons, you get a new valence electron number of 5. However, now that I think about it, I did it wrong, so it's net charge would be -3 as it would want to acquire three electrons to attain a full outer shell.

I am not sure if this is right though since I never understood from the beginning if 11 electrons added to a Fluorine atom was logistically possible.
 
No idea what you are calculating. Let's put apart fact that 11 electrons excess is absurd (my guess is that it is a typo, and it was intended to be 10 electrons). What is the definition of a net charge?
 
Borek said:
No idea what you are calculating. Let's put apart fact that 11 electrons excess is absurd (my guess is that it is a typo, and it was intended to be 10 electrons). What is the definition of a net charge?

It would be the overall charge on an atom (after it has been ionised, so it would be called an "ion". So if you had 3 protons and 2 electrons, for example, it would be a +1 charge.
 
3-2=1. Can you apply exactly the same simple logic to 9 and 20?
 

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