Answer:
It would be the chloride ion, with a charge of
1
−
.
Explanation:
A neutral chlorine atom has the electron configuration
1s
2
2s
2
2p
6
3s
2
3p
5
. In an ionic compound, chlorine gains the sixth
3p
electron, most likely when reacting with a metal such as sodium (Na), forming the chloride ion,
Cl
−
.
The image below represents the formation of the ionic compound sodium chloride,
NaCl
. The bond is formed by the electrostatic attraction between the positive and negative ions.
