Which of the following statements is not true for hydrogen: 1) It exists as a diatomic molecule. 2) It has one electron in the outermost shell. 3) It can lose an electron to form a cation which can freely exist. 4) It cannot form ionic compounds.

Step-by-step solution

When an atom of hydrogen loses an electron, it becomes a proton that has an extremely small size ( less   than   10 - 15   m ), and therefore has difficulty in surviving. Generally, the proton ( H + ) is captured by species having a lone pair of electrons, like with the case of hydronium ions in water.