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QuestionChemistry

What would the charge be on an ion of selenium (Se)?
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Answer

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Step 1:
I'll solve this problem step by step, following the specified LaTeX formatting guidelines:

Step 2:
: Determine Selenium's Position on the Periodic Table

- Selenium (Se) is located in Group 16 (also known as the chalcogen group) on the periodic table - It is in Period 4

Step 3:
: Identify Selenium's Electron Configuration

- Its electron configuration is $$1s^{2} 2s^{2} 2p^{6} 3s^{2} 3p^{6} 4s^{2} 3d^{10} 4p^{4}
- Selenium's atomic number is 34

Step 4:
: Determine Valence Electrons

- Selenium has 6 valence electrons in its outer shell (4p^{4} subshell) - To achieve a stable electron configuration, it typically needs to gain 2 electrons

Step 5:
: Calculate Ion Charge

- When selenium gains 2 electrons, it becomes a stable $$Se^{2-}$$ ion
- This represents a charge of negative two

Final Answer

The charge on a selenium ion is 2 -.