News tagged with ions
New NIST SRM supports the fight against terrorist bombings
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a new standard reference material (SRM) to aid in the detection of two explosive compounds that are known to be used by terrorists. Researchers ...
Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry
May 30, 2012 |
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Team finds buckyballs grow larger by 'eating' vaporized carbon
(Phys.org) -- Fullerenes were first discovered back in 1985 by a team of physicists vaporizing graphite in helium gas, one class of which, the buckminsterfullerene (C60) named after Buckminster Fuller and ...
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
May 30, 2012 |
4 / 5 (2) |
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The first chemical circuit developed
Klas Tybrandt, doctoral student in organic electronics at Linkoping University, Sweden, has developed an integrated chemical chip. The results have just been published in Nature Communications.
May 29, 2012 |
5 / 5 (8) |
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New CO2-removing catalyst can take the heat
(Phys.org) -- The current method of removing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) from the flues of coal-fired power plants uses so much energy that no one bothers to use it. So says Roger Aines, principal ...
May 24, 2012 |
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Efficient and tunable interface for quantum networks
(Phys.org) -- Quantum computers may someday revolutionize the information world. But in order for quantum computers at distant locations to communicate with one another, they have to be linked together in ...
May 23, 2012 |
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How ion bombardment reshapes metal surfaces
To modify a metal surface at the scale of atoms and molecules — for instance to refine the wiring in computer chips or the reflective silver in optical components — manufacturers shower it with ions. ...
May 23, 2012 |
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'Copper pump's' potential benefit in cancer treatment
(Phys.org) -- A team of University of California, San Diego researchers has made new discoveries about a copper-transporting protein in the membranes of human cells that drug-discovery scientists can co-opt ...
May 17, 2012 |
4 / 5 (3) |
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Electron hopping in graphene oxide leads to highly sensitive sensing
(Phys.org) -- Graphene has many promising applications on its own, but pairing the two-dimensional material with the semiconductor titanium dioxide (TiO2) extends its capabilities even further. A team of ...
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
May 17, 2012 |
5 / 5 (4) |
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New nanostructure for batteries keeps going and going
(Phys.org) -- For more than a decade, scientists have tried to improve lithium-based batteries by replacing the graphite in one terminal with silicon, which can store 10 times more charge. But after just a ...
May 11, 2012 |
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A new accelerator to study steps on the path to fusion
The just-completed NDCX-II, the second generation Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), is an unusual special-purpose ...
May 08, 2012 |
4.3 / 5 (8) |
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Engineers develop novel system for producing conductive films
(Phys.org) -- Yale engineers have developed a novel automated system for generating strong, flexible, transparent coatings with promising uses in lithium-ion battery and fuel cell production, among other applications.
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
May 07, 2012 |
5 / 5 (2) |
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Unusual protein helps regulate key cell communication pathway
Charged atoms, or ions, move through tiny pores, or channels, embedded in cell membranes, generating the electrical signals that allow cells to communicate with one another. In new research, scientists have ...
Apr 23, 2012 |
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Dawn gets extra time to explore Vesta
(Phys.org) -- NASA's Dawn mission has received official confirmation that 40 extra days have been added to its exploration of the giant asteroid Vesta, the second most massive object in the main asteroid belt. ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Apr 19, 2012 |
5 / 5 (4) |
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Bridges get a quick check-up with new imaging technique
Swiss engineers have developed a new imaging technique that lets them see the insides of massive concrete bridges. Much like a sonogram, this technique provides quick, easy-to-interpret images, so that the ...
Apr 18, 2012 |
4.7 / 5 (3) |
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Diamond image for the Diamond Jubilee
It’s Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee this year, but after 60 years on the throne, what special gift do you give the monarch to mark this special event?
Apr 16, 2012 |
3 / 5 (2) |
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Ion
An ion is an atom or molecule where the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge.
Since protons are positively charged and electrons are negatively charged, if there are more electrons than protons, the atom or molecule will be negatively charged. This is called an anion (pronounced /ˈænaɪən/; an-eye-on), from the Greek ἀνά (ana), meaning 'up'.
Conversely, if there are more protons than electrons, the atom or molecule will be positively charged. This is called a cation (pronounced /ˈkætaɪən/; cat-eye-on), from the Greek κατά (kata), meaning 'down'.
An ion consisting of a single atom is called a monatomic ion. If it consists of two or more atoms, it is called a polyatomic ion. Polyatomic ions containing oxygen, such as carbonate and sulfate, are called oxyanions.
When writing the chemical formula for an ion, its charge is written as a superscript '+' or '−' following a number indicating the difference between the number of protons and the number of electrons. The number is omitted if it is equal to 1. For example, the sodium cation is written as Na+, the '+' indicating that it has one less electron than it has protons. The sulfate anion is written as SO42−, the '2−' indicating that it has two more electrons than it has protons.
If an ion contains unpaired electrons, it is called a radical ion. Just like neutral radicals, radical ions are very reactive.
For more information about Ion, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
