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Aluminum sits in group 13 of the periodic table. What charge does its common cation carry?
AA charge of 3+
BA charge of 1+
CA charge of 2+
DA charge of 13+
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. A charge of 3+
1. For groups 13 through 17 the group number runs 10 ahead of the valence electron count.
2. Subtracting 10 from group 13 leaves 3 valence electrons.
3. Losing all three gives a cation with a 3+ charge.
4. A charge of 13+ would mean stripping 13 electrons, far more than the valence shell holds.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry (CC BY 4.0), Chs 7 and 17, section 7.1 Ionic Bonding_
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