Electrical Imbalance, Reactions, and Oxidation
The electrons in atoms are arranged around
the nucleus in orbits that determine how
strongly any particular electron is held there.
Some electrons are held close and tightly to
the nucleus, while others range far away and
are held more weakly. The behavior of the
outermost electrons largely determines the
chemical behavior of the elements. For
example, the elements classi-fied as metals —
copper, aluminum, iron — hold their
outermost electrons very weakly, and easily
give them away to the atoms of other
elements — oxygen, chlorine — that are
hungrier for electrons, and that tend to grab up
any that are loosely held. This imbalance in
electrical pulls among different elements is
the basis of most chemical reactions.
Reactions are encounters among atoms and
molecules that result in the loss, gain, or
sharing of electrons, and thus changes in the
properties of the atoms and molecules