Table of contents

1. Intro to General Chemistry3h 48m
2. Atoms & Elements4h 16m
3. Chemical Reactions4h 10m
4. BONUS: Lab Techniques and Procedures1h 38m
5. BONUS: Mathematical Operations and Functions48m
6. Chemical Quantities & Aqueous Reactions3h 53m
7. Gases3h 49m
8. Thermochemistry2h 37m
9. Quantum Mechanics2h 58m
10. Periodic Properties of the Elements3h 9m
11. Bonding & Molecular Structure3h 29m
12. Molecular Shapes & Valence Bond Theory1h 57m
13. Liquids, Solids & Intermolecular Forces2h 23m
14. Solutions3h 1m
15. Chemical Kinetics2h 53m
16. Chemical Equilibrium2h 29m
17. Acid and Base Equilibrium5h 1m
18. Aqueous Equilibrium4h 47m
19. Chemical Thermodynamics1h 50m
20. Electrochemistry2h 42m
21. Nuclear Chemistry2h 36m
22. Organic Chemistry5h 7m
23. Chemistry of the Nonmetals2h 39m
24. Transition Metals and Coordination Compounds3h 16m

2. Atoms & Elements

Ions

General Chemistry

2. Atoms & Elements

Ions

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes a molecule that has had an electron removed?

A neutral atom

An anion

A radical

A cation

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Verified step by step guidance

Understand the terms involved: A neutral atom has no net charge, an anion is a negatively charged ion (gained electrons), a radical is a species with an unpaired electron, and a cation is a positively charged ion (lost electrons).

Recognize that removing an electron from a molecule decreases its negative charge, resulting in a net positive charge.

Since losing an electron creates a positive charge, the species formed is called a cation.

Confirm that the molecule is no longer neutral because it has lost an electron, so it cannot be a neutral atom.

Eliminate the options: it is not an anion (which gains electrons), nor necessarily a radical (which specifically has an unpaired electron), so the best description is a cation.