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. M

    Electric Fields: Sodium Ions pumped

    Homework Statement Living cells actively “pump” positive sodium ions (Na+) from inside the cell to outside the cell. It’s called pumping because it requires work to move the ions from the negatively charged inner surface of the cell membrane to the positively charged outer surface. It...
  2. C

    How do you make a partical excelarator that uses negitive ions?

    Im trying to make a particle excelerator for school using - ions but i can't find any b prints or anyone who can help me. if anyone can help or find some one that could at least explane some of it to me, it would be much appreceated
  3. C

    Calculating Current given the number of electrons and positive ions

    Homework Statement In a fluorescent tube of diameter 3 cm, 10 *1018 electrons and 2.5 * 1018 positive ions (with a charge of +e) flow through a cross-sectional area each second. What is the current in the tube? Homework Equations Current is I = (delta Q)/(deta T) The Attempt at...
  4. Saladsamurai

    Force of Attraction between two ions?

    Homework Statement Calculate the force of attraction between Ca2+ and O2- ions whose centers are separated by 1.25 nm. The Attempt at a Solution Well, I believe this is a matter of electrostatic force (Coulomb's Law)...but I am not sure what to use for the values of q1 and q2 Is it just the...
  5. C

    Engineering problem (acceleration of ions)

    1. Acceleration between plates You have a summer job as an assistant in a University research group that is designing a devise to sample atmospheric pollution. In this device, it is useful to separate fast moving ions from slow moving ones. To do this the ions are brought into the device in a...
  6. T

    Separating ions. Acceleration problem

    Homework Statement You are trying to separate 2 types of ions (fast and slow). The fast ones travel at 1000m/s and the slow ones travel at 100m/s. At the beginning you have 2 plates. One has + and the other one has negative charge. The size of the plates is 5cm and they are 3 cm apart...
  7. T

    Accelerating Ions through semicircular plates

    Homework Statement Hey guys, this is from Purcell 3.19 "Ions are accelerated through a potential difference V_0 and then enter the space between the semicylindrical electrodes A and B. Show that an ion will follow the semicircular path of radius r_0 if the potentials of the outer and inner...
  8. Saladsamurai

    Net Potential Energy between two Adjacent Ions

    Homework Statement The net energy is given by: E_N=-\frac{A}{r}+\frac{B}{r^n} where A, B , and n are constants and r is the interionic separation. Calculate E0 in terms of A, B, and n by the following procedure: 1. find dEN/dr 2. set this expression equal to zero and solve for...
  9. E

    How to Calculate Voltage for Hydrogen and Deuterium Ions in a Magnetic Field?

    Homework Statement Some hydrogens and deuterium ions are accelerated by a potential difference V. These ions entered then in a region with a magnetic field B orthogonal to their velocity. In the position H and K (along the axis parallel to the velocity) there are two sensors and the distance...
  10. N

    How do ions move in an electrolytic cell?

    Hello I'm wondering if someone can explain how OH- ions physically move from the anode to the cathode within an electrolytic cell (w/ pure water) . Do they physically migrate from one side to the other? Or do they just pass electrons/protons back and forth between other ions H3O+ to the...
  11. X

    Error Analysis for Moles of Calcium Ions in 250mL

    Just a quick question about error analysis. Moles of Calcium ions in 10 mL = 6.0 x 10-4 ± 0.5 x 10^-5 mols I'm suppose to scale this number to Moles of Calcium ions in 250mL. So when I multiply by 25, do I multiply the error value as well? Or does it remain the same?
  12. T

    Salt Crystals: Do Negative Ions Emit?

    I'm not sure where this question belongs, maybe in chemistry? move it if necessary. so the quest is this I have a salt crystal lamp. it is a large block of salt on a wood base with a light bulb inside a hollow in the salt. the selling point of these lamps is that the heat from the...
  13. N

    How does mobile ions in a solution(electrolyte) conduct electricity?

    I often read about how electrolyte conduct electricity, the websites I searched often explain only in terms of mobile ions are able to move freely in the solution, therefore they could carry charges throughout the solution bla bla bla. However, none of them explain how does that help conduct...
  14. B

    Chemistry Solving pH 0: 2 Moles of H3O+ per 100 Moles of Water

    Hi, I came across this statement and an explanation to this is greatly appreciated as I can't figure this out. "pH 0 means ~ 2 moles of H3O+ for each 100 moles water" ? Thank you.
  15. C

    How are ions formed from atoms?

    1. How are ions formed from atoms? Attempt at Solution: From reading books and browsing on the internet I've collected a good amount of information, but I don't completely understand them. "An ion is formed when an atom gains or loses an electron in bonding with another atom, causing the...
  16. V

    Diffusion coefficients of ions in water

    Please provide me Diffusion coefficients of following ions in water at different temparatures (25 deg celcius, 75, 125, 300 etc) 1. Fe2+ 2. H2O 3. Fe(OH)+ 4. Fe(OH)2(aq) 5. H+ 6. OH- 7. CO3-2 8. H2CO3 9. HCO3- 10. Na+ 11. Cl-...
  17. somasimple

    Ionic concentration / number of ions

    Hi all, We use often concentrations in chemical/biological experiments. It is expressed usually in mili/µ mole/cm3 or mm3 Is there a way to know the number of ions contained in a volume? Is there a way to know the number of ions (or density) on a surface knowing the concentration...
  18. C

    How Do You Calculate the mmole of Ca2+ Exchanged by Zeolite in a Lab Titration?

    Homework Statement Firstly, I have done the bulk of the lab but me and my lab partner cannot determine somethings and we are confused! - Calculating the mmole of Ca2+ ion present in each sample titration In titration #1 the beaker contained 1.00ml .15 M CaCl2 stock solution (with EDTA...
  19. B

    Ions in water - what does ppM actually mean?

    "A Copper test is performed much as you would test for chlorine residue. A level of copper in the range of 0.15 through 0.20 ppM" The above is an extract from a page on swimming pool ionisers. The ionisers produce copper ions for water cleaning purposes. 0.2ppM (parts per Million) - I...
  20. A

    Chemistry How many moles of ions are present

    I thought this is a pretty easy problem and I can't believe I did it wrong. What did I do wrong? How many moles of ions are present in 250mL of 4.4 M solution of sodium sulfate? Here what I did: 250 mL = .25 L mol Na2(SO)4 = MV = 4.4 * .25 = 1.1 mol but the answer was 3.3 mol
  21. B

    Electron configuration for ions

    How would I write the configuration for ions? Would I alter the last subshell (e.g. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10: I change 3d10) or the shell with the n and l (1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10: I change 4s2)? Thanks.
  22. S

    Electric Potential of Hydrogen-like ions

    Homework Statement Hydrogen-like ions consist of one electron and a nucleus of a charge Ze (Z - the number of protons in the nucleus and e - the charge of an electron). The Bohr model of a hydrogen-like ion states that the single electron can exist only in certain allowed orbits around the...
  23. A

    Ionic equations and Spectator Ions

    This is my reaction Pb(NO3)2(aq) + H2SO4(aq) → PbSO4(s) + HNO3(aq) Pb + (NO3)2(aq) + H2 + SO4(aq) → PbSO4(s) + H + NO3(aq) So far I've done that, and now I'm stuck I see h2 and h and NO3 2 molecules and on the left side i see only one NO3 molecule on the right, can I cross out both or do i...
  24. A

    Ionic equations and Spectator Ions question REALLY SHORT

    Homework Statement Pb(NO3)2(aq) + H2SO4(aq) → PbSO3(s) + HNO3(aq) Pb + (NO3)2(aq) + H2 + SO4(aq) → PbSO3(s) + H + NO3(aq) The Attempt at a Solution So far I've done that, and now I'm stuck I see h2 and h can I cross out both or do i have to balance right now? My teacher said you can...
  25. B

    Concentration of hydrogen ions

    I am trying to find the lowest concentration of hydrogen ions out of the following: 0.1 M HCl 0.1 M NaOH 0.1 M H2SO4 pure water I am having a hard time with the book and this...Thanks
  26. M

    Cracking the Code of Polyatomic Ions: A Chemistry Student's Guide

    Homework Statement I have discovered that in order to suceed in Chemistry, one must learn the polyatomic Ions. My instructor said the best way is to just memorize them, but here is the thing. Ok I can memorize that peroxide is O2, but memorizing the charges is kicking my behind. I was...
  27. S

    Calculating Acceleration of Ions in 2D Motion for Cancer Tumor Treatment

    You are asked to consult for the city's research hospital, where a group of doctors is investigating the bombardment of cancer tumors with high-energy ions. The ions are fired directly toward the center of the tumor at speeds of 5.50 times 10^6. To cover the entire tumor area, the ions are...
  28. P

    What is the attractive electric force between the ions?

    [SOLVED] Electric Force Question The distance between neighboring singly charged sodium and chloride ions in crystals of table salt (NaCl) is 2.82 x 10^-10 m. What is the attractive electric force between the ions? By coulomb’s law, Electric force F = [1/4πεo] q1 q2/ r^2 = 9.0 x...
  29. G

    Current in a solution of NaCl ions.

    [SOLVED] Current in a solution of NaCl ions. Homework Statement Current passes through a solution of sodium chloride. In 1.00 second, 2.68*10^16 Na+ ions arrive at the negative electrode and 3.92*10^16 Cl- ions arrive at the positive electrode. A) What is the current passing between the...
  30. L

    Are the ions at the edge of an ionic crystal complete spheres?

    or are they 1/8 of a sphere at the corners and 1/4 of a sphere at the edge?
  31. A

    Amount in mol of compound ions

    [SOLVED] Amount in mol of compound ions This is just a quick question as it has slipped my mind.. Does anyone know how you would find the mol of a compound ion (ie - SO42- (sulfate ion)), if you are given the mol of the whole compound (in my case it is K2SO4) I know to find single ions...
  32. R

    Deriving the cooridinate numbers of both ions in rock salt

    How would I go about deriving the cooridinate numbers of both ions in rock salt, and, how could I account for the differences in lattice enthalpy between the following; LiCl (861 kJ/mole) - NaCl (787) LiCl - LiF (1046) LiCl - MgO (3850) Cheers.
  33. S

    Does the emission line of an ionized atom depend on the number of electrons?

    Emission line is unique for all elements and i think it depends on the electrons of the elements...my doubt is if an element gains or loses one electron then would the emission line of this ionised atom and the emission line of its neighbor atom in the periodic table is same or not..since the...
  34. B

    Solving the Properties of Iron Ions Fe2+ and Fe3+

    [SOLVED] Iron ions I am curious about the properties of iron ions fe2+ and fe3+. As they are accelerated in a mass spectrometer, which would travel faster and have the largest radius. I understand that they have lost electrons and have a marginal loss in mass, as well I understand that a...
  35. S

    Nomenclature Of Complex Ions

    Homework Statement I'm having trouble with naming complex ions. My textbook has given me a few rules but the examples they give seem to contradict them. These are all the rules I know, can someone tell me if they are right and if I am missing any? Homework Equations Start naming with...
  36. D

    [Chem] Ions' States of Matter when not in solution

    Homework Statement Hydrogen peroxide decomposes into water and oxygen gas with the help of a catalyst. write the molecular formula and the redox half reactions. Homework Equations (N/A) The Attempt at a Solution the molec. formula is of course 2 H_{2}O_{2} (l)...
  37. P

    Calculating Charge Flows in Chemical Cells: How Much Zinc Reacts per Second?

    Hi there! Could anyone help me out with this question? Which steps should I take in solving this question? Chemical cells can produce quite large charge flows for substantial times before their chemicals have all reacted. If zinc is the metal losing electrons under chemical attack, what mass...
  38. J

    Combining ions to make ionic compounds

    Homework Statement How do i combine 2 different ions to make an ionic compound Homework Equations Na+¹ + O-² ---> The Attempt at a Solution I have no idea what to do plus I am new to this forum. Please try to help me in the simplest way possible because my teacher has failed...
  39. M

    Accelerating ions in E-field

    Homework Statement Assuming equal masses, how would the detection times of 3H+ and 3He+ compare [as they're both accelerated toward a detector in the direction of a constant E field]? A) 3H+ would have a longer flight time than 3He+. B) 3H+ would have a shorter flight time than...
  40. A

    Recombination of plasma ions and electrons

    If plasma is a collection of positive ions and electrons, why don't they recombine together and become neutral?
  41. C

    How do ions form in chemical reactions?

    can you tell me how an ion of an element can be formed? For example- how does an ion of sodium form?
  42. G

    Chemistry color of complex ions

    Homework Statement Among the complex ions formed by Co^{3+} match each ion to its color. 1 [Co(CN)_{6}]^{3-} 2 [Co(NH_{3})_{6}]^{3+} 3 [CoF_{6}]^{3-} 4 [Co(H_{2}O)_{6}]^{3+} A Blue B Green C Pale Yellow D yellow-orange The Attempt at a Solution I found the ligands for each mode. 1 CN- 2...
  43. A

    Magnetic fields and sodium ions

    Homework Statement Sodium ions (Na+) move at 0.851 m/s through a bloodstream in the arm of a person standing near a large magnet. The magnetic field has a strength of 0.254 T and makes an angle of 51 degrees with the motion of sodium ions. The arm contains 100 cm^3 of blood with 3 x 10^20 Na+...
  44. H

    What knows the precise radius of these ions?

    Pb2+, La3+, Ti4+, O2- I am very grateful for your help!
  45. M

    Protons and Positive Hydrogen Ions

    Someone once said that a positive hydrogen ion in a solution is not just a proton. When queried he replied by explaining that a positive hydrogen ion in solution will have a relatively high charge density because of the small ionic radius. I can't see any difference: a proton and a positive...
  46. P

    Are Aluminium Ions Actually Acidic?

    In a paragraph in the textbook "When CSIRO scientists were called into investigate, they discovered that the cause was the oxidation of iron pyrites in these area, much of which had been exposed as a result of draining swamps for grazing cattle and the use of floodgates to drain cane fields...
  47. A

    Removing H_3O^+ ions from aq. solution

    What is the most common chemical method for removing H_30^+ ions in aqueous solution? Write a net ionic equation which describes this method.
  48. B

    Will bromine oxidise iron (II) ions in aq solution

    I am unsure how to do this question : Will acidified potassium manganate (VII) oxidise hydrogen sulphide to sulphur in aqueous solution? Will bromine oxidise iron (II) ions in aq solution ? Will iodine " " " " " " " ? any ideas
  49. F

    What is the Fe(2+) ion concentration in each flask?

    Hello, I am not sure how I should do this exercise, and I would appreciate some pointers... We have 6 flasks, each with a 7 ml solution in it diluted to 100 mn with distilled water (I don't think the content is relevant to the question, but if you need to know what chemicals were used...
  50. L

    Electronic configurations for ions

    are these correct? i always get confused with the rules for the end of the order: N^3- >> [Ne] Tl^3+ >> [Xe]4f14 3d10 Fe^3+ >> [Ar]3d5
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