Question

how many electrons would be found in the ion whose symbol is given below? electrons

Explanation:

To determine the number of electrons in the \( \text{I}^- \) ion, we follow these steps:

Step 1: Find the atomic number of iodine (I)

Iodine (I) is an element with an atomic number of 53. The atomic number equals the number of protons in a neutral atom, and in a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons. So, a neutral iodine atom has 53 electrons.

Step 2: Analyze the charge of the \( \text{I}^- \) ion

The \( \text{I}^- \) ion has a charge of \( -1 \), which means it has gained 1 electron (since a negative charge indicates an excess of electrons).

Step 3: Calculate the number of electrons in \( \text{I}^- \)

For a neutral I atom: \( \text{Electrons} = \text{Protons} = 53 \).
For \( \text{I}^- \) (gained 1 electron):
\[
\text{Electrons in } \text{I}^- = 53 + 1 = 54
\]

Answer:

The \( \text{I}^- \) ion has \(\boldsymbol{54}\) electrons.