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What is the Ionic Charge of Copper？

Feb 7，2024

In its ionic state, copper (Cu) can have either a +1 or a +2 charge. Copper is a transition metal, which means it can exhibit variable valency and form ions with partially filled d orbitals.

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A neutral copper atom has an atomic number of 29 and a total of 29 electrons. Its electron configuration is [Ar]3d¹⁰4s¹. When copper loses one electron from its 4s orbital, it forms the copper(I) ion (Cu⁺) with a +1 charge and an electron configuration of [Ar]3d¹⁰.

On the other hand, copper can also lose two electrons, one from the 4s orbital and one from the 3d orbital. This results in the copper(II) ion (Cu²⁺) with a +2 charge and an electron configuration of [Ar]3d⁹.

Therefore, the charge of a copper ion can be either +1 or +2, depending on the number of electrons it loses.

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