Sodium will react most readily with which element

Sodium will react most readily with which element

• A. Chlorine
• B. Helium
• C. Boron
• D. Potassium

Answer: (A)

Sodium tends to lose one electron to achieve a stable configuration, while chlorine tends to gain one electron to complete its octet. This easy electron transfer makes the formation of an ionic bond between Na+ and Cl− very favorable, yielding sodium chloride. Under normal conditions, this reaction proceeds rapidly, so chlorine is the best partner among the options. Helium is inert, so it won’t react readily; boron would react only under specific, less favorable conditions; potassium is another metal and wouldn’t form the same straightforward ionic bond with sodium as chlorine does.

Sodium tends to lose one electron to achieve a stable configuration, while chlorine tends to gain one electron to complete its octet. This easy electron transfer makes the formation of an ionic bond between Na+ and Cl− very favorable, yielding sodium chloride. Under normal conditions, this reaction proceeds rapidly, so chlorine is the best partner among the options. Helium is inert, so it won’t react readily; boron would react only under specific, less favorable conditions; potassium is another metal and wouldn’t form the same straightforward ionic bond with sodium as chlorine does.