Asked by sstt

Ions tend to have the same electron configuration as noble gases. True or False?

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Mostly true, but not universally.

Many simple (main‑group) ions form by losing or gaining electrons to reach a noble‑gas (closed‑shell) configuration — e.g. Na+ and Mg2+ → [Ne], Cl− → [Ar]. This is the basis of the octet rule.

However, there are important exceptions: many transition‑metal ions and some heavier or complex ions do not end up with a noble‑gas configuration (e.g. Fe2+ = [Ar]3d6). So the statement is a useful generalization, not an absolute rule.