Multiple Choice
What is the charge of an atom with 15 protons and 18 electrons?
3
views
2. Atoms & Elements
Ions
Struggling with General Chemistry?
Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
Which ion does sulfur most commonly form in ionic compounds?
A
S^{-}
B
S^{2-}
C
SO_4^{2-}
D
S^{2+}
Verified step by step guidance1
Recall that sulfur is a nonmetal in group 16 of the periodic table, which means it has 6 valence electrons.
To achieve a stable octet configuration, sulfur tends to gain electrons to fill its valence shell to 8 electrons.
Since sulfur has 6 valence electrons, it needs to gain 2 electrons to complete the octet, resulting in a charge of 2-.
Therefore, the most common ion formed by sulfur in ionic compounds is the sulfide ion, represented as $S^{2-}$.
Note that $SO_4^{2-}$ is a polyatomic ion called sulfate, which contains sulfur but is not a simple ion formed by sulfur alone.
Related Videos
Related Practice
