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What are Anions and Cations? – Video
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Video at a Glance
- Sodium atoms have an extra electron in their outer orbit, and they want to give it up.
- Chloride atoms are missing an electron in their outer orbit.
- In an aqueous solution, the extra sodium electron binds with the chloride atom’s outer orbit.
- The sodium atom ends up with 10 electrons and 11 protons, giving it a net positive charge. Positively charged ions are cations.
- The chloride atom ends up with 18 electrons and 17 protons, giving it a net negative charge. Negatively charged ions are anions.
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