Based on the provided reference, an atom forming a cation, like sodium, typically has one valence electron that it loses.
The reference explains the process of cation formation using sodium as an example. It states, "It only has one valence electron." This refers to the neutral sodium atom before it undergoes ionization.
The Process of Cation Formation
When an atom like sodium, which possesses valence electron(s) in its outermost shell, loses these electrons, it becomes positively charged, forming a cation.
According to the reference:
- A sodium atom starts with "one valence electron."
- When it "got rid of that electron then it would be full in it's, now, outer shell."
- In losing the electron, the sodium atom "becomes unbalanced and positively charged, and is therefore a cation."
This process results in a cation (like Na⁺) where the new outermost shell is a previously inner shell that is now full. While the reference specifically highlights the loss of the original valence electron(s) in forming the cation and mentions the resulting cation having a full outer shell, the numerical value explicitly linked to valence electrons in the provided text for the precursor atom is "one".
Therefore, according to the context provided in this specific reference, the discussion revolves around an atom that loses its one valence electron to become a cation with a full outer shell.
