* Sodium (Na) has 1 valence electron. It wants to lose this electron to achieve a stable octet (8 electrons) in its outer shell.
* Chlorine (Cl) has 7 valence electrons. It wants to gain one electron to also achieve a stable octet.
* When sodium and chlorine react, sodium *donates* its valence electron to chlorine. This results in:
* Sodium (Na) losing a negative charge and becoming a positively charged ion (Na+)
* Chlorine (Cl) gaining a negative charge and becoming a negatively charged ion (Cl-)
So, the sodium ion becomes positively charged (+1), not negatively charged. This positive charge is what makes sodium a cation.
The attraction between the oppositely charged ions (Na+ and Cl-) is what forms the ionic bond, creating sodium chloride (NaCl), or table salt.
