An ion (/ ˈ aɪ. ɒ n,-ən /) [1] is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convention. The net charge of an ion is not zero because its total number of electrons ...

Aug 2, 2021 · In chemistry, the main difference between an atom and an ion is that an atom is a neutral particle, while an ion has a positive or negative electrical charge. An atom is basic building block of matter made of protons, neutrons, and electrons. The identity of an element is determined by the number of positively charged protons in the atom’s nucleus.

Mar 2, 2025 · Ion, any atom or group of atoms that bears one or more positive or negative electrical charges. Positively charged ions are called cations; negatively charged ions, anions. Ions migrate under the influence of an electrical field and are the conductors of electric current in electrolytic cells.

Nov 20, 2021 · In chemistry, the definition of an ion is an electrically charged atom or molecule. This means the atom or molecule has an unequal number of protons and electrons . Neutrons carry no net electrical charge, so they don’t affect ions directly.

Jul 3, 2019 · What Is an Ion? Ions are atoms with extra electrons or missing electrons. When an atom's outermost orbital gains or loses electrons (also known as valence electrons), the atom forms an ion. An ion with more protons than electrons carries a …

Sep 4, 2019 · An ion is defined as an atom or molecule that has gained or lost one or more of its valence electrons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. In other words, there is an imbalance in the number of protons (positively charged particles) and electrons (negatively charged particles) in a chemical species.

Sep 2, 2022 · An ion is a charge carrying atom/molecule formed by the ionization process. The ratio of electrons and protons in an ionic species is never equal to 1.

May 28, 2024 · Cobalt is another element that can form more than one possible charged ion (2+ and 3+), while lead can form 2+ or 4+ cations. Unfortunately, there is little understanding which two charges a metal atom may take, so it is best to just memorize the possible charges a particular element can have. Note the convention for indicating an ion.

By definition, an ion is an electrically charged particle produced by either removing electrons from a neutral atom to give a positive ion or adding electrons to a neutral atom to give a negative ion. When an ion is formed, the number of protons does not change.

Jan 21, 2025 · Define the two types of ions. Use Lewis diagrams to illustrate ion formation. Most atoms do not have eight electrons in their valence electron shell. Some atoms have only a few electrons in their outer shell, while some atoms lack only one or two electrons to have an octet.