Home › NPCIL Trainee › Chemistry › Representative Metals, Metalloids, and Nonmetals › Under normal chemical conditions, why do nonmeta…
Under normal chemical conditions, why do nonmetals not form monatomic cations (positive ions)?
AThey have no protons in their nuclei
BTheir ionization energies are too high
CThey always exist as liquids
DTheir electronegativity is too low
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Their ionization energies are too high
1. Forming a cation means removing an electron, which requires overcoming the atom's ionization energy.
2. The text states: "In normal chemical processes, nonmetals do not form monatomic positive ions (cations) because their ionization energies are too high."
3. Nonmetals instead tend to gain electrons to form anions, consistent with their relatively high electronegativity (the opposite of "too low").
4. Nonmetals obviously have protons (that is what defines any element), and many nonmetals are gases or solids, not exclusively liquids.
5. So the real reason nonmetals avoid forming cations is that their ionization energies are too high to lose electrons easily.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry Ch 18 "Representative Metals, Metalloids, and Nonmetals", p.986 §18.4 Structure and General Properties of the Nonmetals_
Related questions
A reaction in which the same element is simultaneously oxidized and reduced is called a:About half of the world's zinc production is used for what purpose?Bronze and solder are two well-known alloys of tin. What are their respective co-metals?An alloy of mercury with one or more other metals is called a(n):Solid carbon dioxide exists as discrete molecules held together by weak intermolecular forBy mass, silicon makes up close to what fraction of the earth's crust, ranking second in aBoron's outer electron structure is 2s²2p¹, giving it one less valence electron than valenWhy do metalloids conduct electricity less well than true metals?