Science Sector, Volume I

A Monthly Article of Science
Ionic Bonding and Reactivity
By Nicholas Westerhausen

Here are some well known facts about atoms as elements:

1. Atoms in groups 1, 2, and 13 need to lose electrons to become stable.*
2. Atoms in group 14 can either lose or gain electrons to become stable.*
3. Atoms in groups 15, 16, and 17 need to gain electrons to become stable.*
4. When atoms become ions, they become stable.*

When atoms become ions, they either gain or lose an electron in their outer energy level. And, depending on how close the energy level is to the nucleus of the atom, it is either more reactive or less reactive. Let me explain, the closer an electron is to the nucleus, the less energy is required for it to travel around the nucleus, so it has less energy than an electron in energy levels farther from the nucleus than itself.

So, Fluorine is more reactive than Chlorine because Fluorine's outer energy level is closer to its nucleus. Quite differently, Calcium would be more reactive than Magnesium because its outer energy ring is farther away from its nucleus. Calcium would be more reactive because it wants to lose electrons.

Somewhere I read that Salt(NaCl) was ironic because we use it doesn't harm us, while Sodium(Na) is very reactive to hydrogen oxide and Chlorine(Cl) is a very deadly poison. The reason why NaCl is harmless** and why Sodium (by itself) and Clorine (by itself) are deadly is that NaCl is really [Na]+and[Cl]- combined; sodium chloride is made of two stable ions, so they are not reactive in the way they would have been if they were regular atoms(neutronic).

*Stable as in electons
**If eaten in moderation