Question Video: Identifying an Atom as a Metal or Nonmetal from Its Electronic Configuration Science • First Year of Preparatory School

Video Transcript

The electronic configurations for an atom and its ion are shown below. Is this atom a metal or a nonmetal?

An atom is an electrically neutral particle with an equal number of protons and electrons. An ion is a charged particle with an unequal number of protons and electrons. During a chemical reaction, atoms can gain or lose electrons and form ions. Metal atoms tend to lose electrons and form positive ions. Nonmetal atoms tend to gain electrons and form negative ions.

The atom in the question has a total of 13 electrons, while its ion only has 10. So to form the ion, the atom must have lost three electrons. Therefore, the atom must be a metal. So, based on the electronic configurations for an atom and its ion, the atom is a metal.