Ever stared at the periodic table and wondered why sodium (na), a seemingly stable element, is always represented as a positively charged na⁺ ion in chemical reactions? The charge on the ion can also be. Ions are atoms that have gained or lost electrons, resulting in a net positive or negative charge.
Charts come from empirical data on the real behavior of elements, which may differ somewhere from the periodic table predictions. The usual charge of an element is common to its group. The charge of a sodium ion is positive because it has lost an electron.
And as the sodium (na) loses 1 electron, it forms na + ion. I hope you have understood the reason behind the 1+ charge of sodium. There are four ways to find the charge of an element: Ions with greater charge include a number in their symbol, for example al 3+ (which has three positive charges).
The sodium ion still has 11 protons (11 positive charges) but now only 10 electrons (10 negative charges). The sodium ion has an extra positive charge, shown by the + sign. During the chemical reaction, sodium loses this 1 electron and achieves the nearest noble gas configuration to become stable. The sodium atom loses its outer electron to become a sodium ion.
An excess of electrons results in negative charge, a deficit of electrons results in positive charge. Hence the ionic charge of sodium (na) is 1+.