Question

Calcium has an atomic number of 20. How many electrons does calcium lose when forming an ionic bond with another ion?

Answer 1

Calcium loses two electrons to become `Ca^(+2)`

Explanation:

Calcium has an atomic number of 20 which means it would have 20 protons and 20 electrons in a neutral state as an atom.

The electron configuration for Calcium would be

`Ca = 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2`

In order to follow the Rule of Octet the Calcium atom will release the two electrons from the `4s` orbital and become

`Ca^(+2) = 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6`