A. how do you determine the charge of an element? b. why do elements form the charges that they do? (for example, why does sodium
always have a +1 charge?)

Explanation:

A. The charge on an element is determined by the differences between the number of protons and electrons in an atom.

An atom will have no charges if the number of protons and electrons are the same.

When an atom loses or gains electrons, the number of electrons will either decrease or increaseif the number of electrons is more than the number of protons, the excess electrons is the charge on the atom. And this makes the atom become a negatively charged ion. if the number of electrons is lesser than the number of protons, the deficient electrons makes the atom a positively charged ion. The number of electrons by which the atom is deficient makes the atom a positively charged ion.

Charge  = number of protons  - number of electrons

B. Electrons form the charges they do because with the charge, they become stable like the noble gases.

The desire of every atom is  to have stable electronic configuration like those of the noble gases.

A potassium atom with a configuration 2 8 8 1 will prefer to lose an electron to become an Argon atom making the ion stable.

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Change in speed or direction : )