ion, in chemistry

ion, atom or group of atoms having a net electric charge charge, property of matter that gives rise to all electrical phenomena (see electricity ). The basic unit of charge, usually denoted by e, is that on the proton or the electron ; that on the proton is designated as positive (+e
..... Click the link for more information. .

Positive and Negative Electric Charges

A neutral atom or group of atoms becomes an ion by gaining or losing one or more electrons or protons. Since the electron and proton have equal but opposite unit charges, the charge of an ion is always expressed as a whole number of unit charges and is either positive or negative. A simple ion consists of only one charged atom; a complex ion complex ion, charged molecular aggregate (see ion ), consisting of a metallic atom or ion to which is attached one or more electron-donating molecules. In some complex ions, such as sulfate, SO₄⁻²
..... Click the link for more information. consists of an aggregate of atoms with a net charge. If an atom or group loses electrons or gains protons, it will have a net positive charge and is called a cation cation (kăt'ī`ən), atom or group of atoms carrying a positive charge.
..... Click the link for more information. . If an atom or group gains electrons or loses protons, it will have a net negative charge and is called an anion anion (ăn`ī'ən), atom or group of atoms carrying a negative charge.
..... Click the link for more information. .

Since ordinary matter is electrically neutral, ions normally exist as groups of cations and anions such that the sum total of positive and negative charges is zero. In common table salt, or sodium chloride, NaCl, the sodium cations, Na⁺, are neutralized by chlorine anions, Cl⁻. In the salt sodium carbonate, Na₂CO₃, two sodium cations are needed to neutralize each carbonate anion, CO₃⁻², because its charge is twice that of the sodium ion.

Ionization of Neutral Atoms

Ionization of neutral atoms can occur in several different ways. Compounds such as salts dissociate in solution solution, in chemistry, homogeneous mixture of two or more substances. The dissolving medium is called the solvent , and the dissolved material is called the solute. A solution is distinct from a colloid or a suspension .
..... Click the link for more information. into their ions, e.g., in solution sodium chloride exists as free Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions. Compounds that contain dissociable protons, or hydrogen ions, H⁺, or basic ions such as hydroxide ion, OH⁻, make acidic or basic solutions when they dissociate in water (see acids and bases acids and bases, two related classes of chemicals; the members of each class have a number of common properties when dissolved in a solvent, usually water.

Properties

..... Click the link for more information. ; dissociation dissociation, in chemistry, separation of a substance into atoms or ions. Thermal dissociation occurs at high temperatures. For example, hydrogen molecules (H₂
..... Click the link for more information. ). Substances that ionize in solution are called electrolytes electrolyte (ĭlĕk`trəlīt')
..... Click the link for more information. ; those that do not ionize, like sugar and alcohol, are called nonelectrolytes. Ions in solution conduct electricity. If a positive electrode, or anode, and a negative electrode, or cathode, are inserted into such a solution, the ions are attracted to the electrode of opposite charge, and simultaneous currents of ions arise in opposite directions to one another. Nonelectrolytes do not conduct electricity.

Ionization can also be caused by the bombardment of matter with high-speed particles or other radiation radiation (rā'dēā`shən)
..... Click the link for more information. . Ultraviolet radiation UV index predicts how long it would take a light-skinned American to get a sunburn if exposed, unprotected, to the noonday sun, given the geographical location and the local weather.
..... Click the link for more information. and low-energy X rays X ray, invisible, highly penetrating electromagnetic radiation of much shorter wavelength (higher frequency) than visible light. The wavelength range for X rays is from about 10⁻⁸ m to about 10⁻¹¹
..... Click the link for more information. excite molecules in the upper atmosphere sufficiently to cause them to lose electrons and become ionized, giving rise to several different layers of ions in the earth's atmosphere (see ionosphere ionosphere (īŏn`əsfēr)
..... Click the link for more information. ). A gas can be ionized by passing an electron current through it; the ionized gas then permits the passage of a much higher current. Heating to high temperatures also ionizes substances; certain salts yield ions in their melts as they do in solution.

Applications of Ionization

Ionization has many applications. Vapor lamps and fluorescent lamps take advantage of the light given off when positive ions recombine with electrons. Because of their electric charge the movement of ions can be controlled by electrostatic and magnetic fields. Particle accelerators particle accelerator, apparatus used in nuclear physics to produce beams of energetic charged particles and to direct them against various targets. Such machines, popularly called atom smashers, are needed to observe objects as small as the atomic nucleus in studies
..... Click the link for more information. , or atom smashers, use both fields to accelerate and aim electrons and hydrogen and helium ions. The mass spectrometer utilizes ionization to determine molecular weights and structures. High-energy electrons are used to ionize a molecule and break it up into fragment ions. The ratio of mass to charge for each fragment is determined by its behavior in electric and magnetic fields. The ratio of mass to charge of the parent ion gives the molecular weight directly, and the fragmentation pattern gives clues to the molecular structures.

In ion-exchange reactions a specially prepared insoluble resin with attached dissociable ions is packed into a column. When a solution is passed through the column, ions from the solution are exchanged with ions on the resin (see chromatography chromatography (krō'mətŏg`rəfē)
..... Click the link for more information. ). Water softeners use the mineral zeolite, a natural ion-exchange resin; sodium ions from the zeolite are exchanged for metal ions from the insoluble salt that makes the water hard, converting it to a soluble salt. Ion-permeable membranes allow some ions to pass through more readily than others; some membranes of the human nervous system are selectively permeable to the ions sodium and potassium.

Engineers have developed experimental ion propulsion engines that propel rockets by ejecting high-speed ions; most other rocket engines eject combustion products. Although an ion engine does not develop enough thrust to launch a rocket into earth orbit, it is considered practical for propelling one through interplanetary space on long-distance trips, e.g., between the earth and Jupiter. If left running for long periods of time on such a trip, the ion engine would gradually accelerate the rocket to immense speeds.

Ion, in Greek mythology

Ion: see Creusa 1 Daughter of Erechtheus and wife of Xuthus. Her sons, Achaeus by Xuthus, and Ion by Xuthus or Apollo, are the ancestors of the Achaeans and the Ionians.

2 Princess of Corinth: see Jason and Medea .

3 Daughter of Priam and wife of Aeneas.
..... Click the link for more information. (1.)

ion

Atom or group of atoms with one or more positive or negative electric charges. Positively charged ions are cations, negatively charged ones anions. Ions are formed when electrons are added to or removed from neutral molecules or other ions, as sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) atoms react to form Na⁺ and Cl⁻; when ions combine with other particles, as hydrogen cations (H⁺) and ammonia (NH₃) combine to form ammonium cations (NH₄⁺); or when a covalent bond between two atoms is ruptured in such a way that the resulting particles are charged, as water (H₂O) dissociates (see dissociation) into hydrogen and hydroxide ions (H⁺ and OH⁻). Many crystalline substances (see crystal) are composed of ions held in regular geometric patterns by the attraction of oppositely charged particles for each other. Ions migrate to the electrode of opposite charge in an electric field and are the conductors of current in electrolytic cells (see electrolysis). Compounds that form ions are called electrolytes. Ions are also formed in gases when heated to very high temperatures or when an electrical discharge passes through them (see plasma).

ion

(1) (IDL On the Net) See IDL.

(2) An atom with fewer or greater electrons than normal as a result of a chemical reaction in the material. A positive ion, called a "cation" (pronounced "cat-eye-en"), is an atom that has one or more electrons stripped out, which means it has fewer electrons in its electron shells than it has protons in its nucleus. A negative ion, called an "anion" (pronounced "an-eye-en") is an atom that has one or more electrons forcibly added.

Batteries Contain Positive and Negative Ions
In a battery, there are positive ions on one side and negative ions on the other. When a conductor is placed in between to complete the circuit, the electrons flow from the negative ions to the positive side where they join the positive ions. See ion deposition.

ion

an electrically charged atom or group of atoms formed by the loss or gain of one or more electrons