the sodium gives up an electron to the chlorine, and both atoms are in a more energetically favorable configuration. In fact, the amount of energy required for a neutral atom to give up its ...

In this video excerpt from NOVA's "Hunting the Elements," New York Times technology columnist David Pogue investigates chemical reactions involving sodium. Find out how the electron configuration ...

The atom that gains an electron becomes a negative ion. A positive and negative ion attract each other and form an ionic bond. Students will look at animations and make drawings of the ionic bonding ...

Atoms with incomplete valence shells generally form bonds with other atoms or elements to achieve a stable electron configuration ... For example, in sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium donates ...

Meet Theo Gray, chemist and author, who helps David explore how the electron configuration of an atom affects its ability to combine with other atoms. Discover why noble gases are not reactive and ...