Other examples of ionic bonding
3 marks · EasySodium (Na) and sulfur (S) are both elements found in the periodic table. State the group number of each element.
Describe how the ions formed by sodium and sulfur achieve noble gas configurations.
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(a) Sodium: Group 1; Sulfur: Group 6
(b) Sodium loses one electron to become Na+, which is isoelectronic with neon. Sulfur gains two electrons to become S2–, which is isoelectronic with argon.
Common mistakes: States sodium gains electrons; States sulfur loses electrons
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Marking points
B1 (a) · 1 mark · States sodium is Group 1
B1 (a) · 1 mark · States sulfur is Group 6
B1 (b) · 1 mark · Describes electron transfer for both ions leads to noble gas configuration
Worked solution
| Element | Group number |
|---|---|
| Sodium (Na) | 1 |
| Sulfur (S) | 6 |
Sodium loses one electron to form Na+, which has the same number of electrons as neon. Sulfur gains two electrons to form S2–, which has the same number of electrons as argon.