If a chlorine atom gains or loses a valence electron, it becomes a charged particle known as an ion. Specifically, when it gains an electron, it becomes a negatively charged ion called an anion (Cl⁻), and when it loses an electron, it becomes a positively charged ion called a cation, although chlorine typically forms anions. This change in charge occurs because the number of protons in the nucleus remains constant while the number of electrons changes.
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