Question

John is studying for his Chemistry quiz. He took the notes below (in blue) about barium and iodine, which are known to form ionic bonds.

Barium, which is a metal, donates 2 electrons to iodine.
The individual barium atom becomes an ion with a negative 2 charge.
The bond between barium and iodine makes the atoms stable.
Barium and iodine attract each other.

Which best describes John's error?

Answer 1

a
Barium and iodine repel, not attract, each other.
b
The bond formed makes the atoms unstable, not stable.
c
The individual barium atom has a positive, not negative, 2 charge.
d
Barium is a metal, so it donates protons, not electrons.

Answer 2

John's error is that he mistakenly described the barium atom as becoming an ion with a negative 2 charge. Barium, being a metal, tends to donate electrons and become a positively charged ion, not a negatively charged ion.

Answer 3

c