Given that metals lose electrons, write the symbol for the
most common cation for each of the following.
a) Cs
b) Fe
c) Ba
Answers
a) Cs is in Group IA and will lose one electron to form Cs+.
b) Fe is a transition metal and will lose two or three
electrons to form Fe2+ or Fe3+.
c) Ba is in Group IIA and will lose two electrons to form Ba2+.