How to Tell an Ion From an Atom
Atoms and ions are not very different, as all ions were former atoms. Atoms go through a process of electron swapping between each other, which can give them extra electrons or missing electrons. This difference is what turns an atom into an ion. This simple change gives ions different properties, however.
Other People Are Reading
-
Protons and Electron Count
-
One main difference between ions and atoms is the difference in the number of electrons. An ion either has missing electrons or extra electrons. If it has missing electrons, it is positively charged and is called a "cation." It is positively charged because it has more protons than electrons. If it has extra electrons it is negatively charged and is called an "anion." Most metals are subject to becoming ions because they have fewer electrons in their outer shells, making them more loose and likely to be given to another atom.
Bonds
-
Atoms and ions handle bonds differently. When atoms bond together they become covalent bonds. This is as opposed to ions which join together to become electrovalent bonds. Atoms bond into molecules. This is because of their covalent bonds, which means that between the multiple atoms, electrons are being shared. However, ions bonding through electrovalence donate electrons to other ions and become electrically charged because of this loss.
-
Dependence
-
One big difference between ions and atoms is how independent they are. All ions can exist independently. Atoms sometimes need to bond to other atoms, however, to form molecules. This results in both having different abilities when it comes to chemical reactions. Atoms can take part in chemical reactions while ions cannot participate in these reactions.
Stability
-
Ions are generally considered more stable than atoms. That is because ions have gone through a process to even out their outer electron shell. This means that if an atom has a single electron in its outer shell, it is extremely likely to be taken by another atom, making both into ions. Once they have equalized in this way, however, they are stable and do not require any more electron swapping.
-
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
