• Question: What is ion?

    Asked by Helena Potter to Scott on 9 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Scott Lawrie

      Scott Lawrie answered on 9 Mar 2016:

      Good question, Helena. An ion is an atom with one or more electrons removed or added. You know that atoms are made of positively charged protons, neutrally charged neutrons and negatively charged electrons? Normally atoms have the same number of protons and electrons, so the total charge adds up to zero: atoms are neutral. If you add or take away an electron, the atom is no longer neutrally charged and it becomes an ‘ion’.

      I hope that explains it! Feel free to ask anything else 🙂

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