The atomic number of chlorine is 17. What is the number of electrons in a chloride ion?
Answer Details
Chlorine has an atomic number of 17, which means it has 17 protons and 17 electrons in its neutral state. When chlorine gains an electron, it becomes a chloride ion with a charge of -1. The negative charge on the chloride ion indicates that it has one more electron than protons. Therefore, the number of electrons in a chloride ion is 17 + 1 = 18. Hence, the answer is 18.