Chemical Reactivity: Why Neon and Oxygen Atoms Cannot Form a Compound
Why can't a compound be formed between a neon atom and an oxygen atom?
Andy and Afsa discuss the reactivity of chemical elements. Andy says that a neon atom and an oxygen atom can combine to form a compound. Afsa thinks not. But she can't explain to Andy why.
Explanation:
Andy and Afsa, while it's true that atoms of different elements can combine in simple whole number ratios to form chemical compounds, a compound cannot be formed between a neon atom and an oxygen atom. The key to understanding this is recognizing the concept of chemical reactivity. Reactivity in chemistry refers to how likely or readily an atom is going to undergo a chemical reaction. Elements in the same group (vertical column) in the periodic table tend to have the same reactivity as they have the same number of electrons in their outer shell.
Neon is a noble gas and it is called 'noble' because it does not react with other elements to form compounds. These elements have full outer electron shells, so they do not need to gain or lose electrons to be stable. This is what makes them inert, or non-reactive. So, neon normally does not form compounds with other elements, including oxygen.
While atoms of different elements can form compounds, a neon atom and an oxygen atom cannot. This is because neon, a noble gas, has full outer electron shells, making it non-reactive and unlikely to form compounds.
Chemical compounds are formed when atoms of different elements bond together by sharing, gaining, or losing electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. However, neon already has a stable configuration due to its full outer electron shell, so it does not have the tendency to form compounds with other elements like oxygen.
On the other hand, oxygen is a highly reactive element that readily forms compounds with other elements to stabilize its electron configuration. Oxygen typically forms compounds by gaining two electrons to complete its outer shell, forming stable compounds such as water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
Therefore, the lack of reactivity of neon and the high reactivity of oxygen prevent the formation of a compound between a neon atom and an oxygen atom. This fundamental understanding of chemical properties and electron configurations explains why Andy and Afsa's discussion concludes that a compound cannot be formed in this case.