When Zn changes to `Zn^(+2)` it

Options

A. loses 2 electrons
B. loses 1 electron
C. gains 1 electron
D. gains 2 electrons

Answer

To solve the question "When Zn changes to Zn^(+2), how many electrons does it lose?", we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the oxidation states**:
- Zinc (Zn) in its elemental form has an oxidation state of 0.
- When zinc forms Zn^(+2), its oxidation state is +2.

2. **Determine the change in oxidation state**:
- The change in oxidation state from 0 to +2 indicates that zinc is losing electrons.

3. **Calculate the number of electrons lost**:
- The increase in oxidation state from 0 to +2 means that zinc has lost 2 electrons. This is because each electron lost corresponds to a decrease in the negative charge of the atom.

4. **Define the process**:
- The process of losing electrons is called oxidation. Therefore, when Zn changes to Zn^(+2), it undergoes oxidation.

5. **Conclusion**:
- Thus, when Zn changes to Zn^(+2), it loses 2 electrons.

### Final Answer:
When Zn changes to Zn^(+2), it loses 2 electrons.

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