What is Ion: Definition and 404 Discussions

An ion () is a particle, atom or molecule with a net electrical charge.
The charge of the electron is considered negative by convention. The negative charge of an ion is equal and opposite to charged proton(s) considered positive by convention. The net charge of an ion is non-zero due to its total number of electrons being unequal to its total number of protons.
A cation is a positively charged ion with fewer electrons than protons while an anion is negatively charged with more electrons than protons. Because of their opposite electric charges, cations and anions attract each other and readily form ionic compounds.
Ions consisting of only a single atom are termed atomic or monatomic ions, while two or more atoms form molecular ions or polyatomic ions. In the case of physical ionization in a fluid (gas or liquid), "ion pairs" are created by spontaneous molecule collisions, where each generated pair consists of a free electron and a positive ion. Ions are also created by chemical interactions, such as the dissolution of a salt in liquids, or by other means, such as passing a direct current through a conducting solution, dissolving an anode via ionization.

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  1. Salvador

    Are there any materials where ions are the charge carriers instead of electrons?

    I was wondering , are there any materials , metal or others, that have ions as the charge carriers that form current instead of electrons as in most metals.? and are the ohmic resistance in room temperature for example similar to materials were current is formed by electrons or is the resistance...
  2. Amrator

    Acceleration of Ion Seperation

    Homework Statement Ok, so this question is not really a homework problem but just something I'm trying to solve for fun and to improve my problem solving skills. You must separate fast moving ions from slow moving ones. To do this the ions are brought into the device in a narrow beam so that...
  3. S

    Distribution of protons in momentum space in an ion source?

    How are protons in an ion source distributed in momentum space? Consider an ion source fed with H2 at low pressure. As soon as the protons are free protons they are accelerated by the extraction voltage of perhaps 10 kV. In momentum space the protons are initially a "shell" with a certain...
  4. Mnemonic

    How Is the Force on a Helium Ion Calculated in a Magnetic Field?

    Homework Statement What is the magnitude of the force experienced by a He2+ ion traveling with v = 1.3 × 10^5i m/s in a magnetic field B = 0.42 j T? Homework Equations F=qvbsinθ The Attempt at a Solution F=2*1.6e-19*1.3e5*0.42 I am unsure about the charge on the Helium ion. Is it 2*1.6e-19?
  5. N

    Li ion battery electrode surface area

    What effect (if any) would changing the surface area of electrodes in a lithium ion battery have? Would it allow for faster battery charging? Faster discharge rate? Thanks in advance
  6. S

    How to verify the Energy delivered by Lithium ion battery?

    How to verify the Energy and Capacity delivered by the Lithium Ion battery? I have a Lithium ion batter with below configuration: Nominal Voltage 4.2 V Nominal capacity 2250 mAh I am calculating the energy and capacity every second for my experiments. I use below formula to calculate the...
  7. I

    Difference between Lithium Ion and Nickel Metal Hydride

    Obviously there are MANY differences, but I'm curious about one in particular. In an article I read, the creator used NiMH batteries because of their high charge density, but also because they do not require a charge controller and voltage regulator in the circuitry. Why is this, and is there...
  8. S

    Exploring the Science Behind Flame Electrons and Ions

    why would a flame contain electrons and ions??
  9. G

    Ion density in sheath of Langmuir probe in plasma

    Hello. I'm studying principle of Langmuir probe and got several questions. 1st, the textbook suddenly tells that ion density within sheath is ni(x) = nis(Vs/V(x))1/2 where nis, Vs are ion density and plasma potential at sheath edge. I found some document which shows that it is obtained by...
  10. TESL@

    What causes current decay in plasma collisions?

    Hello PF, This has been frustrating me for a while: The plasma inside a tokamak is being heated by current induction, which accelerates the ions and electrons in specific directions, thus the velocity of ions increase. These ions collide with each other, eventually randomizing the motion. Now...
  11. GiantSheeps

    Can We Combine Solar Sails and Ion Thrusters for Faster Space Travel?

    I've heard a lot of people talk about solar sails versus things like Ion thrusters, and it seems that both have their advantages and disadvantages. So I was wondering whether or not it's possible to use both on a single spacecraft ? That way you could get the speed of an ion thruster along with...
  12. Fluxxx

    Does Electric Potential Energy Depend on Mass? Exploring EPE and Mass of an Ion

    Homework Statement An ion, starting from rest, accelerates from point A to point B due to a potential difference between the two points. Does the electric potential energy of the ion at point B depend on it's mass? Homework Equations $$\Delta EPE = q \Delta V$$ $$[J]=[C\cdot \frac{J}{C}]$$...
  13. ORF

    Number of ionizations by heavy ion beam

    Hello If a heavy ion beam deposits a certain energy E in a volume V, how many ion-pairs will it produce in matter? I think that the number of ion-pairs will be the energy divided by the (average) energy of ionization. A friend told me that a part of the deposited energy will cause also atomic...
  14. Ornit

    Ion Assisted Deposition (coating technology)

    Hi all, When talking to some of our optics vendors, I got the impression that Ion Assisted Deposition (IAD) is standard. We use our optics at high power densities and we care about laser damage as well as adhesion and density of the coating (aka porosity, helps reduces sensitivity to humidity)...
  15. Misha Kuznetsov

    Ion Behavior in Electric Field

    If a gas is ionized using a sufficiently strong electric field (created by two plates, and where the gas is the medium in between), the positive ions would drift toward one plate while the electrons would be attracted to the other. What would happen when the electrons and ions reach the...
  16. J

    How is this H+ ion bonded when NAD becomes NADH +H+ ?

    First of all: I keep finding two equations that are supposedly showing the same reaction: 1) NAD+ +2e +H+ -> NADH 2) NAD+ +2e +2H+ -> NADH +H+ The first one suggests NAD carries around 2 electrons and one hydrogen ion The second one suggests NAD carries around 2 electrons and 2 hydrogen ions I...
  17. W

    Force between polar molecule and an ion

    Homework Statement Under certain conditions the interaction between a "polar" molecule such as HCl located at the origin and an ion located along the x-axis can be described by a potential energy U=−bhttps://s3.lite.msu.edu/adm/jsMath/fonts/cmmi10/alpha/144/char3D.pngx^2, where b is a...
  18. Aafia

    Ion electron balancing problem

    In ion electron method to balance equation we have to follow steps ... i am doing it but here i am confusing how to do this ... There are two partial equations i have made in basic medium 1- H2PO2---------> H2PO3^-1 2-Fe(OH)3---------->Fe(OH)2 Now the second step is to balance the atoms By...
  19. rizwanibn

    Size difference between Hydrogen ion and electron?

    While studying the generation of electricity using hydrogen fuel cells, I came across a point that "The electrolyte is a thin, fragile sheet of acidic, solid organic polymer about 50 microns (2 thousandths of an inch) thick which permits the passage of Hydrogen ions but is impermeable to...
  20. M

    Energy Eigenvalues for Ion with Spin

    Homework Statement An ion has effective spin ħ. The spin interacts with a surrounding lattice so that: Hspin = A S2 z. I first had to write H as a matrix. Then i had to find the energy eigenvalues. Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution I figured j=1 and mj = 1,0,-1 S2 z = ħ2(1 0 0; 0...
  21. R

    Is it Possible to Create a Monatomic Hydrogen Ion Gas?

    Plain and simple, is it possible to create H+ Gas? For example, if you had H3O+ and heated it immensely, wouldn't it separate into H2O and H+? Wouldn't there then be a way to separate the H+ out?
  22. R

    Cooling and (or?) heating ion trap experiments

    I'm currently studying ion trap experiments, many papers suggest the cooling of trapped ions, and other papers say its a heating process. I know there's a difference as to what each refers but am unclear of the difference. I'll quote...
  23. F

    Charge of an Ion - What Does "+1" Mean?

    The charge of a single proton is the elementary charge of 1.6 * 10^-19 C, and the charge of an electron is the negative of the elementary charge, which is -1.6 * 10^-19 C. In an electroneutral atom or molecule, there are just as many protons as there are electrons, and so the net charge is 0 C...
  24. Y

    How does an Ion generator work in space?

    Will an Ion generator work in space?? And how does it normalyl work? Does it push upon the ions in the air, or does it actually throw electrons, and this spins the rotor? This is an Ion generator:
  25. R

    Coulomb's law theoretical hypothetical question

    The Scenario: Let's say one could have a lot of cations produced from a gas in a single plane contained in a 1 square foot area (like a fence around sheep). This plane of cations is over another one that is on the ground. So basically two layers of Cations in a tall hollow cube like...
  26. Teemo

    Solubility and Precipitation of Unknown Ion

    Homework Statement A colorless solution is known to contain one of these ions. Which ion is present if adding dilute HCl produces a white precipitate that dissolves when the solution is warmed? (A) Ag+ (B) Cu2+ (C) Hg22+ (D) Pb2+ Homework Equations N/A The Attempt at a Solution I know it...
  27. Ganesh Ujwal

    What is the potential field of an ion near the Bohr radius?

    I figure that at large enough distances, the potential field of an ion is just the Coulomb potential for its net charge. But what happens at scales comparable to the ion's Bohr radius? Could there be, for example, some sort of screening effect from the electron shell that changes the potential...
  28. J

    Chemical/Paint DIY ion exchange? Purifying glycerol, removing salt/lye/h2o

    My challenge is to provide a low-tech (DIY) way to purify the glycerol produced from soapmaking or biodiesel production. Simple distillation is out because the boiling point for glycerol is above its smoke point. Vacuum distillation and electrolysis do not count as low-tech. :) The input...
  29. F

    Build an Ion Chamber Project with Filip: Tips & Experiences

    Hi all I am a 17 years old student and I want to make a ion chamber to measure the ultraviolet radiation in the stratosphere. My project will be connected to a balloon that will fly to a 30 km height. I am going to make our first prototype with my team it will be the most basic ion chamber: I...
  30. D

    Why isn't the ion NH4+ capable of hydrogen bonding?

    If you draw lewis structure, central atom (N) will have 1 lone pair and 4 single bonds with Hydrogen. Why can't hydrogen in this ion molecule be able to form hydrogen bonding with other molecules alike? Is it because there's only 1 electron on the central atom?See for yourself: 5N + 4H -1 = 9...
  31. D

    Ion or Neutral Atom? AI Decays Into Stable Si

    Homework Statement An atom of 28_13 AI decays into stable nuclide 28_14 Si by emitiing a beta particle. What's 28_14 Si ? the ans given is positive ion? in my opinion, it should be a neutral atom... which is correct? Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution
  32. B

    Recombination of ion pairs in an ionization chamber

    What happens to the fill gas in an ionization chamber? Once incident radiation has created an ion pair, which has then moved to its opposite polarity electrode, is that ion pair removed from the fill gas? So if enough incident radiation is detected over a period of time all the gas would be...
  33. C

    Calculating Chlorine Ion Acceleration & Speed of Light:Why?

    Question Assuming the electric potential difference between the inside and outside of a cell is 70 mV and the thickness of the region across which this exists is 7 nm, calculate the acceleration a chlorine ion would experience in the absence of other forces. In the absence of other forces how...
  34. kelvin490

    Coating Hollow Shapes w/ Vacuum Evap: Atom vs Ion?

    Is it possible to use vacuum evaporation, sputtering and ion plating processes to coat the inside walls of holes and other hollow shapes of substrates? I wonder whether the source materials are ejected in the form of atoms or ions? Many books say atom but how can they travel to the substrate if...
  35. G

    Is there any reaction happens when calcium ion added to calcium hydroxide?

    Silly question lol But Is there any reaction if calcium ion added to calcium hydroxide? If NaOH or any alkali is added to metal ions, insoluble metal hydroxide is formed. So, what if weak alkali Calcium hydroxide is added to Calcium ion, what will it happen? Will it has no reaction just like...
  36. A

    Troubleshooting Ion Exchange Membrane Desalination with Comsol - Low Voltage Fix

    hello to every on i m trying to desalinate seawater with an ion exchange membrane. the initial voltage of my simulation is 5 volt and it increase to 7 and 9Volt when i insert that data to Comsol it doesn't work and give the below error...
  37. B

    Action Potential Through Ion Channel, Total Number of Ions Through

    Homework Statement Nerve signals in the body occur when a small voltage, called an action potential, is applied across the membrane of a cell. When this action potential is applied across a region of the cell membrane called an ion channel, current in the form of moving potassium ions will be...
  38. dontbearrogant

    Helium Ion Particle Accelerator

    Okay you're going to have to forgive me but I'm new to all of this and I'm still getting a hang of this website(as well as having little or no education/experience in much of any physics beyond high school),but I was wondering if it would be possible to make a particle accelerator that used...
  39. F

    Drift tube ion mobility spectrometer

    Hello PF, thanks for having me here. I am working in chemistry and we are building a atmospheric pressure drift tube ion mobility spectrometer. The drift tube consists of 20 stacked stainless steel electrodes insulated by PTFE spacers connected via a resistor chain (voltage divider) to produce...
  40. C

    Heat sensitive ion channels for thermal imaging?

    To the best of my knowledge, thermal imaging (with a thermograph as the end results) is performed using arrays of thermopiles. This can become hugely expensive and is the reason fire services sometimes have trouble affording thermal imaging cameras. Snakes have heat sensitive ion channels...
  41. marellasunny

    10S4P with Lithium ion battery; Question on the calculation

    I am planning to use the Panasonic NCR-18650 cylindrical cells for a BEV (Battery Electrical Vehicle). As it would be easier to buy ready-made modules, I have found a supplier selling a Li-ion pack that delivers 417 Wh(or in other words 11.6 Ah) at 36 V (something like what this guy uses...
  42. AllenJH

    Displacement energy of atom in a liquid (for ion implantation)

    Hi Physics Forums! I'm a bit stuck here. I'm fairly sure I intuitively know the answer here, but am looking for harder proof. The following question is in regards to my current research work (materials sci/eng). Does anyone know of a discussion of the displacement energy of an atom in a...
  43. R

    Lithium Ion Charging: Constant Current vs Constant Voltage

    Good afternoon. I was going to make a 4.2v Lithium ion charger circuit, but so far what i have learned is, i will be needing constant current charger, so my question is what will happen if i charge with constant voltage? Like from a regulator maybe a linear one and i give like 4/4.1 volt...
  44. W

    Extracellular ion concentrations and neural membrane potential

    I'm learning about a very basic model neuron, in which only potassium and chloride is permeable. Why is it that when the extracellular concentration of potassium is increased, the neuron become depolarized, whereas when extracellular concentration of chloride is reduced, the neural membrane...
  45. G

    Paramagnetism of negative O2 ion

    O2 has two unpaired electrons, therefore it's quite strong paramagnetism. But what about (O2)-, the negatively charged O2 ion? Am I right in assuming that due to the additional electron one unpaired electron will get together with it, so that overall it should still be paramagnetic, but...
  46. vead

    What is diffusion and Ion Implantation ?

    Q1what is ion implantation in wafer fabrication ? Ion implantation is process by which ion of material accelerated in electric field and impacted into silicon wafer Q2what is diffusion in wafer fabrication ?
  47. S

    Are the electron flow in a conductor and ion flow in electrolyte same?

    A current flow occurs when there is movement of electron in a conductor. But in a electrolyte its the ions that move and we still say there is current flow. Are the electron flow in a conductor and ion flow in a electrolyte is the same?
  48. Q

    The Acidity of the Hydrated Ferric Ion

    Why is Fe(OH_{2})_{6}^{3+} fairly acidic? This iron has six water molecules coordinated to it. In other words, water itself is a very weak acid. But when water is coordinated to iron, it becomes more acidic. I can think of a few reasons; can you think of more? 1) Induction. The negative charge...
  49. S

    Elemental Composition Calculation for Lithium/Sodium Ion Battery

    What is the funda behind the Elemental Composition Calculation of Cathode Material for Sodium / Lithium Ion Battery (Na2/3 Ni0.4 Mn0.4 Co0.2 O2)/ AMO2? Apart from the Oxidation state calculation, Phase Diagram Elimination of mixtures and Random Compistion, is there any Principle behind it?
  50. P

    Determining Spring Constant in Ion Pair

    Homework Statement The force between an ion pair is given by F=-k\alpha\frac{e^{2}}{r^{2}}[1-\left(\frac{r_{\circ}}{r}\right)^{m-1}] Find the value of r where the equilibrium position is. Determine the effective spring constant for small oscillations from the equilibrium. Using...
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