Multiple Choice
What is the charge on a sodium ion (Na^+)?
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Which of the following best describes the difference between a standard hydrogen atom and a hydrogen ion?
A
A hydrogen atom contains no neutrons, while a hydrogen ion contains one neutron.
B
A hydrogen atom has two protons, while a hydrogen ion has only one proton.
C
A hydrogen atom is negatively charged, while a hydrogen ion is neutral.
D
A hydrogen atom contains one electron, while a hydrogen ion (H^+) has lost its only electron.
Verified step by step guidance1
Recall the basic structure of a hydrogen atom: it consists of one proton in the nucleus and one electron orbiting the nucleus. Most hydrogen atoms do not have neutrons, although isotopes like deuterium do.
Understand what a hydrogen ion (H\^+) represents: it is a hydrogen atom that has lost its single electron, resulting in a positively charged ion with only one proton remaining.
Compare the charges: a neutral hydrogen atom has no net charge because the positive charge of the proton is balanced by the negative charge of the electron, whereas the hydrogen ion has a net positive charge due to the absence of the electron.
Evaluate the given options by checking the accuracy of their statements about protons, neutrons, and electrons in hydrogen atoms and ions.
Conclude that the best description is that a hydrogen atom contains one electron, while a hydrogen ion (H\^+) has lost its only electron, making it positively charged.
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