Formation of Ions by Electron Loss or Gain

Ions are electrically charged particles formed when atoms gain or lose electrons. The formation of ions occurs through two main processes:

Think of a game where players have different colored marbles. Each player wants to have a complete set of marbles of a specific color. However, some players are missing a few marbles. To complete their sets, they decide to trade their extra marbles with other players who are missing those marbles. In this scenario:

Sodium (Na) is like a player with an extra red marble (valence electron) in their set. They decide to give away the red marble, leaving them with a complete set. So, Na loses the red marble (electron) and becomes a sodium ion (Na+).

Magnesium (Mg) is like a player with two extra blue marbles (valence electrons). They give away both blue marbles, completing their set. Thus, Mg loses the two blue marbles (electrons) and becomes a magnesium ion (Mg2+).