Why does magnesium form an Mg2+ ion rather than Mg+ during ionic bond formation?
Magnesium loses two electrons to achieve the stable electron configuration of a noble gas.
Magnesium has atomic number 12, so its electronic configuration is 2, 8, 2. It has two electrons in its outermost shell, and atoms tend to gain or lose electrons so that they reach a completely filled outer shell.
By losing both outer electrons, magnesium is left with the configuration 2, 8, which is the stable octet of the noble gas neon. Losing only one electron would form Mg+ with 2, 8, 1, which still has an incomplete outer shell, so magnesium forms Mg2+.
The other statements do not fit: the configuration does change when the ion forms, sharing of electrons describes covalent bonding rather than ionic bonding, and a metal like magnesium loses electrons to form a positive ion instead of gaining them.
Hence, Magnesium loses two electrons to achieve the stable electron configuration of a noble gas.
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