What is Ions: Definition and 343 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. C

    Solution of silver ions turning amber

    I've been making solutions of silver ions by hooking 20-30V up to 2 silver electrodes in distilled water and noticed something interesting. The solution starts off as clear and by adding a bit of NaCl, AgCl precipitates out so there's definitely Ag+ ions in there. If I leave the solution for a...
  2. A

    Electrolysis, charge of ions.

    Hi, my names Adam, this is my first post I am in year 10 UK (10th grade i believe) This is not a homework question, its advice towards the analysis of my chemistry coursework. Im predicted an A* in chemistry so this is why my experiment is more complicated than others in my class.I based my...
  3. E

    Understanding Pulsed Beam Characteristics of Negative Ions

    Homework Statement Problematic Part of the problem: Consider a negative ion beam of He- ions. The given beam characteristics are the beam energy (E) and the beam current (I0). An electrostatic chopper is placed on the beam line, which pulses the DC beam with a pulse width of say t_1...
  4. A

    Number of ions produced in air

    The average energy needed to produce an ion in air is 34eV, how many ions pair will be produced in air by a radiation of 1MeV, my teacher told me it is about 30,000 ions and electrons but can someone please prove it??:confused:
  5. Q

    Can moving ions in water produce a magnetic field

    I know that moving charges produce a magnetic field, my question is if a solution of water containing ions moving through a pipe or being spun would produce a noticeable magnetic field. Would current running through a solution of ions produce a magnetic field as well? Thanks in advance
  6. FeDeX_LaTeX

    Comparing C4+ and C4- Ions: Charge Differences

    Hello; I was told today that you can get two different types of carbon ion, C4+ and C4-. My question is, how are they any different? What is the difference between the two ions that causes the reverse of charge? Thanks.
  7. S

    Converting parts per million (ppm) and mol of ions

    1. Fluorine compounds are added to water, the concentration being 0.90 ppm. a. What amount of fluoride present 1.0g of water? Solution- (just need to know what the number mean) Divided 0.90 pm by 1,000,000, which I assume is the grams of substance per kilogram? Then divided that...
  8. M

    Distribution of complex ions between aqeuous and organic layers

    Hi I was wondering if anyone might be able to offer an explanation why the Fe3+ complex ion containing 5 water ligands and 1 thiocynanate (the classic blood red complex) appears to be able to distribute equally between an organic and an aqueous layer but a cobalt 2+ complex ion containing 4...
  9. T

    Concentration of [H+] ions in a solution

    Hey guys, just a quick question: If you have a solution of nitric acid, and if you were asked to find the concentration of H+ ions in the solution, would you find the concentration of H+ ions in the acid plus in the water? Re-wording of question: you find the moles of H+ ions in acid +...
  10. T

    Concentration of ions in a reaction

    Alright guys, I am a little bit confused on how to find the concentration of ions in a reaction. In a solution, it is relatively easy. Are the number of ions in the beginning the same they are in the end? Please give me some general guidelines: i know to begin with a balanced equation ...
  11. S

    Why do ions flow from high concentration to low concentration?

    Hello everyone, This a question related to ATP pump that uses electrochemical gradient to provide energy to make ATP. I have few questions about this. 1. In an electrochemical gradient there are more positively charged ions on one side of the membrane(In proton gradient case). So why do...
  12. E

    Why are Bismuth and Nitrogen Expected to Lose and Gain Electrons Respectively?

    This isn't a HW question per se, but it arose after doing a HW problem -- feel free to move if you feel it's necessary. I sorted four elements into two categories: Those expected to lose electrons (Bi and Ga) and Those expected to gain electrons (N and Br) I'm having difficulties...
  13. S

    Are ions always aqueous inside the cell? (simple question)

    Hello guys, So there are hydrogen ions inside the cell which is pumped out in cellular respiration. Now my question is when they say hydrogen ions are inside the cell are these actually dissolved in water, ions can not exist without being dissolved right, why is that they are so reactive...
  14. Y

    HELP concentrations of ions

    HELP! concentrations of ions Homework Statement Determine the concentration for the following ions: H2PO4- HPO4^2- PO4^3- in the dissociated of 7.0M H3PO4 solution Homework Equations I know that the number given is a phosphoric acid and is a triprotic acid. Concentration of atoms...
  15. C

    Name each of the following ions:

    Homework Statement Name each of the following ions: CN- O2- OH- Homework Equations none The Attempt at a Solution What exactly is this asking? How do I find this?
  16. L

    Measuring Metal Ions in Industry Process Streams

    In Industry, what kind of plants would need to measure metal ions in their process streams. Ions that interest me are copper, nickle, iron etc. I've been trying to find some information, but only found some limited information on nickle but it did not include the information that I want, what...
  17. S

    Distance of ions from photographic plate

    Homework Statement How far would the spot on the photographic plate be from the entry point for each ion, assuming that each ion completes half an orbit? I am given three ions, N+subscript2, O+subscript2, NO+ They have atomic masses of N=14.0031amu and O=15.9949amu. I am given the...
  18. V

    Gas Laser: Stimulated Emission and Positive Ions

    In a gas laser, an electron in the highest energy state absorbs photon for stimulated emission to occur, but now since it has more energy than its highest state, shouldn't it escape the atom and the active medium be left only with positive ions?
  19. K

    Electric Dipole Moment of copper and sulphate ions

    Homework Statement The electric dipole moment of a CuSO4 molecule is 3.2 * 10^-32 (i.e. 10 raised to the power of -32)C-m. Find the separation between the copper and sulphate ions. Homework Equations Electric deipole moment = 2aq where 2a=separation between the two charges q and -q...
  20. J

    Redox Reactions: Zinc and Its Ions

    Zn---Zn+2 + 2e-
  21. K

    Software to compute quantum mechanical and thermodynamics properties of ions

    Hello! I am doing an investigation on thermodynamic propeties of certains heavy ions "Alkali-Cloride" ions on the basis of mass spectroscopy and quantum mechanical calculations. For that i use GAMESS as a computer tool to study quantum mechanical properties of those ions (vibration frequency...
  22. K

    Electrostatic force betwen two ions

    Homework Statement A. Find the electrostatic force between a Na+ ion and a Cl- ion separated by 0.5 nm. B. Would the answer change if the sodium ion were replaced by Li+ and the CL ion by Br-?Explain. Homework Equations I believe you have to use Coulomb's Law...? F=k* [(/q1//q2/)...
  23. K

    Thermodynamic properties of charged ions

    Hello! I would like to ask anyone who can have documents about the thermodynamic properties of CsCl, Cs2Cl+, CsCl2-,Cs3Cl2+,Cs2cl3- to send me the links please. or anything else that can be related to thermodynamic properties of heavy ions. Actually i want to make a research on their...
  24. M

    Two concentrations of calcium ions inside and outside the membrane

    This isn't homework - just working through questions in my text. The question gives two concentrations of calcium ions inside and outside the membrane and asks to find the Nernst potential - ok no problem there. Then it asks if the calcium ions are in equilibrium if the resting potential is...
  25. A

    Advance Calculating Internal Concentrations of Ions

    Homework Statement Have to determine permeabilities \alpha and \beta (PNa/PK and PCl/PK) as well as internal concentrations of Na+, K+ and Cl- I have calculated different membrane voltages according to the external concentration (when altering one ion, the other two were set to zero)...
  26. H

    Bainbridge Mass Spectrometer - Finding the mass of ions

    In a particular spectrometer, doubly ionised C (atomic no. 6 mass no. 12) and singly ionised Li (atomic no. 3 mass no. 6) atoms are detected. The ratio of the path radii is 1.00252, the Li having the larger value. The fields are constant. a)Find the mass of the lithium ion. Okay so i...
  27. C

    What Are the Spectator Ions in This Chemical Reaction?

    Homework Statement 2KMnO4 (aq) + 10FeSO4 + 8H2SO4 --> K2SO4 (aq) + 2MnO4 (aq) + 5Fe2SO4 (aq) + 8H2O (aq) Homework Equations Spectator ions don't participate in the reaction. The Attempt at a Solution What gives? Is my professor bent on making our lives miserable? The answer...
  28. A

    In a solution of 0.10 M H2SO4, the ions present in order of decreasing order.

    Homework Statement The answer is [ H3O+ ] > [HSO4-]>[SO4-2]>[OH-], but I do not understand how they got it? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution First I tried to put H2SO4 into water and got HSO4-. Then I tried to make an ice table, but it didn't work out since Ka for...
  29. L

    Relative Atomic Radii (Atoms and Ions)

    Hi, How would you determine the relative atomic sizes of a neutral atom and an ion? I can't figure this out. It can't be that all neutral atoms are always smaller than all ions can it? For example, how would I determine if Cl- is smaller or larger than S?. (The answer is that Cl- is...
  30. Bob_for_short

    Exploring Ion Accelerators: A Look at Russia's Latest Advancements

    Recently in Russia they published a book about a specific accelerator of ions. The ions are accelerated by electrons. They built an accelerator of 15 cm in length, with 1 MeV of electron beam and they obtain ions of 1 GeV at the exit. I wonder if there are similar accelerators in the West?
  31. P

    Releasing Energy from Processes: Electrons & Ions

    Homework Statement Which of the following processes release energy to the surroundings? -Removing an electron from a neutral atom -Separating a sodium ion (Na+) from a chloride ion (Cl-) -Removing an electron from a positively charged ion -Elevation of an electron from a lower energy level...
  32. H

    Why do ions replace other ions

    Lets say I have a solution of NaCl and decide to add some AgNO3. I know a white precipitate will form so obviously some Ag+ ions have dropped their NO3- counterparts and combined with Cl- ions instead. Why does this happen? Is it all to do with electronegativity? Is it a simple matter of Cl-...
  33. C

    Calculating Total Moles of Ions from CuSO4*5H2O

    Homework Statement How many total moles of ions are released when the following sample dissolves completely in water? 2.63 g of CuSO4 * 5H2O Homework Equations 159.611 g / mol of CuSO4 The Attempt at a Solution I tried doing 2.63 g / [159.611 g / mol] to get .016477 mol of...
  34. B

    What is the Magnetic Force on Arm Due to Sodium Ions in a Magnetic Field?

    Homework Statement Sodium ions (Na+) move at 0.844 m/s through a bloodstream in the arm of a person standing near a large magnet. The magnetic field has a strength of 0.259 T and makes an angle of 59.0° with the motion of the sodium ions. The arm contains 95.0 cm^3 of blood with a...
  35. M

    Fluoride Ions needed to treat water

    Homework Statement Fluoride ion is poisonous in relatively low amounts: 0.2 g of F - per 70 kg body weight can cause death. Nevertheless, in order to prevent tooth decay, F - ions are added to drinking water at a concentration of 1 mg of F - ion per L of water. How many kilograms of sodium...
  36. G

    Potential energy between two oppositely charged ions in a crystal

    Hi, I am having trouble with the following: All I have really done is differentiate the function to give an expression for F(r), but I am a bit clueless about the rest. How can there be equilibrium if the two ions are attracted to each other? Cheers, GeoffreyThelm
  37. A

    Neon Ions Acceleration in Tube w/20kN/C Field

    A section of an advertising sign consists of a long tube filled with neon gas having electrodes inside at both ends. A uniform electric field of 20 kN/C is set up between the electrodes, and neon ions accelerate along the length of the tube. Given that the ions each have a mass of 3.35 X 10-26kg...
  38. B

    Average Kinetic Energy of Ions after EI in MS?

    Hello, From what I've been reading, 70eV electrons are the standard for electron impact ionization in mass spectrometry. I'm trying to get a feel for how much kinetic energy on the average is imparted to an ion. I know this gets complex, when you start talking about multiple fragments...
  39. C

    Identification of ions in mixture

    I am prepare for a practical experiment, this is a practical experiment aim to identify the anions and cations in the solution, and those ions are choosed from Pb, Ba, Ca, Cu,Fe2, Fe3 and CO3, Cl, PO, SO, NO3. where can i find the solubility in water for any ionic compound that can be formed...
  40. J

    How far from the entrance will the beams of the different isotope ions end up?

    Homework Statement There are three main isotopes of carbon, with the following atomic masses: Atomic Masses 12^C 1.99 x 10^-26 kg 13^C 2.16 x 10^-26 kg 14^C 2.33 x 10^-26 kg The atoms of carbon are singly ionized and enter a mass spectrometer with magnetic field strength B = 0.200 T at...
  41. A

    Magnetic water? and a question or 2 about ions

    I'm sure you'll all think I'm brain damaged but i was wondering if water, polarized within an electric field, might exhibit some magnetic properties... with the molecules having a slight electric dipole, could the 2 positively charged H atoms be thought of as an electric current of sorts...
  42. A

    Chemical equilibrium system and where my ions went

    sorry if this has been asked before, i did a search and couldn't find any results. Explain fully what happens when H^+ is added to a mixture containing BaCrO_4(s) and CrO_4^2^-. The overall equation of ions in this experiment is...
  43. C

    Hydrogen-like ions energy levels

    Homework Statement An absorption line at 6966 eV is known to come from a hydrogen-like ion. Calculate the likely atomic number of the element and hence identify it. (The ionization energy of hydrogen is 13.6eV.) Homework Equations not sure The Attempt at a Solution Using...
  44. E

    Conceptual Question: Energy of ions across a voltage difference

    The following is a multiple choice question on a previous quiz I was given: Homework Statement Ions of type A with a charge of +2e and a mass of 4 amu (atomic mass units) and ions of type B with a charge of +3e and a mass of 20 amu are at rest on one side of a cell wall. Both pass...
  45. A

    Archived Four lowest vibrational states of these ions

    Homework Statement In most metals, the atomic ions form a regular arrangement called a crystal lattice. The conduction electrons in the sea of electrons move through this lattice. The figure (Intro 1 figure) is a one-dimensional model of a crystal lattice. The ions have mass m , charge e ...
  46. T

    Voltage required to produce ions

    Voltage required to produce ions... Homework Statement Ions with a charge of +2e travel at a speed v=6.4x10^6 m/s perpendicular to a magnetic field with a strength of 5.4T. What is the voltage required to produce ions with that speed? Homework Equations 1eV=1.6x10^-19 Joules The...
  47. P

    What would happen if an electrolyte conducts both ions and electrons?

    Homework Statement In an electrochemical cell what would happen if an electrolyte is conducting both ions and electrons? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution So I know electrolytes usually conduct ions and are electronic insulators. I know the electric current that...
  48. R

    Radius of ions path in a field

    [b]1. A singly charged positive ion has a mass = 1.08e-26 kg After being accelerated through a potential difference of 240 V the ion enters a magnetic field of 0.595 T in a direction perpendicular to the field. The charge on the ion is 1.602 e-19 C. Find the radius of the ion's path in the...
  49. Z

    Chemistry Solving for Moles of Ions in 0.0200g AgNO3

    How many moles of ions are in 0.0200g AgNO3. Please help, i can't seem to set up the equation!
  50. K

    Best way to easily make positive ions?

    How do you make positive ions? I found a kit device that is made of a bunch of capacitors and diodes that's supposed to make negative ions (it says to reverse the diodes to make positive ions) how does this work? Wikipedia and HowStuffWorks weren't much help. Wikipedia explained what diodes...
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