Sodium ions: Difference between revisions
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<u>'''Definition and electronic structure'''</u> | <u>'''Definition and electronic structure'''</u> | ||
A sodium [[Atom|atom]] that has lost an [[Electron|electron]] becomes the monatomic charged sodium [[Ions|ion ]]and is denoted by the symbol Na<sup>+</sup>. Sodium ions have the electronic structure 1s<sup></sup><sup>2</sup>2s<sup>2</sup>2p<sup>6</sup>, as they have become [[Oxidation|oxidised]], having lost the lone electron in its 3s subshell: this is why sodium ions have a +1 charge overall.<br> | A sodium [[Atom|atom]] that has lost an [[Electron|electron]] becomes the monatomic charged sodium [[Ions|ion]] and is denoted by the symbol Na<sup>+</sup>. Sodium ions have the electronic structure 1s<sup></sup><sup>2</sup>2s<sup>2</sup>2p<sup>6</sup>, as they have become [[Oxidation|oxidised]], having lost the lone electron in its 3s subshell: this is why sodium ions have a +1 charge overall.<br> | ||
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Revision as of 23:54, 29 November 2016
Definition and electronic structure
A sodium atom that has lost an electron becomes the monatomic charged sodium ion and is denoted by the symbol Na+. Sodium ions have the electronic structure 1s22s22p6, as they have become oxidised, having lost the lone electron in its 3s subshell: this is why sodium ions have a +1 charge overall.
Sodium ions in the human body
Sodium ions are present in the human body playing key roles in several processes, such as in the primary active transport carried out by the Na+/K+-ATPase, during the depolarisation of neuronal cell membranes during an action potential and as an important component in the secondary active transport of glucose which is completed by the Na+-glucose symporter.
In compounds
Sodium ions also form ionic compounds with negative ions, a common example being the neutral ionic compound sodium chloride (NaCl), where the sodium ion has a positive +1 charge (Na+) and the chloride ion has a negative -1 charge (Cl-1).