Asked in UHS MDCAT 2008 2008Moderate

When a helium atom loses an electron, it becomes:

Correct answer: C. A positive helium ion

  • A. An alpha particle
  • B. Proton
  • C. A positive helium ion
  • D. A negative helium ion

Explanation

Helium's atomic number is 2 which means a neutral helium atom has 2 protons and 2 electrons , when helium loses an electron it has 1 electron left. This means it has 1 more proton than electron giving it an overall positive charge hence helium becomes a positive ion on losing electron and gets charge of +1.

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About Composition of Atomic Nuclei

Atomic nuclei contain positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons, collectively called nucleons. Questions use atomic number, mass number and nuclear notation to identify isotopes, isobars and isotones, and may connect nuclear composition with nuclear charge, mass defect, binding energy and the stability of the nucleus.

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