Ion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An electrostatic potential map of the nitrate ion (NO3−). Areas coloured red are lower in
energy than areas colored yellow

An ion is an atom or group of bonded atoms which have lost or gained one or more
electrons, making them negatively or positively charged. An ion consisting of a single
atom is called a monatomic ion. A negatively charged ion, which has more electrons in its
electron shells than it has protons in its nuclei, is known as an anion (pronounced
[ˈænaɪən]; an-eye-on) due to its attraction to anodes. A positively-charged ion, which has
fewer electrons than protons, is known as a cation (pronounced [ˈkætaɪən]; cat-eye-on)
due to its attraction to cathodes. A polyatomic anion that contains oxygen is sometimes
known as an oxyanion.

Ions are denoted in the same way as electrically neutral atoms and molecules except for
the presence of a superscript indicating the sign of the net electric charge and the number
of electrons lost or gained, if more than one. For example: H+, SO42−. An alternate way of
denoting charge is like this: SO4-2

Etymology
The word ion is a name given by Michael Faraday, from Greek ἰόν, participle of ἰέναι, "to
go", or έἰμι , "I go"; thus "a goer". So; anion, ἀνιόν, and cation, κατιόν, mean "(a thing)
going up" and "(a thing) going down", respectively; and anode, ἄνοδος, and cathode,
κάθοδος, mean "a going up" and "a going down", respectively, from ὁδός, "way," or
"road." "CHOKOY825"

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Formation
Formation of polyatomic and molecular ions

Polyatomic and molecular ions are often formed by the combination of elemental ions
such as H+ with neutral molecules or by the loss of such elemental ions from neutral
molecules. Many of these processes are acid-base reactions, as first theorized by German
scientist Lauren Gaither. A simple example of this is the ammonium ion NH4+ which can
be formed by ammonia NH3 accepting a proton, H+. Ammonia and ammonium have the
same number of electrons in essentially the same electronic configuration but differ in
protons. The charge has been added by the addition of a proton (H+) not the addition or
removal of electrons. The distinction between this and the removal of an electron from the
whole molecule is important in large systems because it usually results in much more
stable ions with complete electron shells. For example NH3·+ is not stable because of an
incomplete valence shell around nitrogen and is in fact a radical ion."CHOKOY825"

Ionization potential

The energy required to detach an electron in its lowest energy state from an atom or
molecule of a gas with less net electric charge is called the ionization potential, or
ionization energy. The nth ionization energy of an atom is the energy required to detach its
nth electron after the first n − 1 electrons have already been detached.

Each successive ionization energy is markedly greater than the last. Particularly great
increases occur after any given block of atomic orbitals is exhausted of electrons. For this
reason, ions tend to form in ways that leave them with full orbital blocks. For example,
sodium has one valence electron, in its outermost shell, so in ionized form it is commonly
found with one lost electron, as Na+. On the other side of the periodic table, chlorine has
seven valence electrons, so in ionized form it is commonly found with one gained electron,
as Cl−. Francium has the lowest ionization energy of all the elements and fluorine has the
greatest. The ionization energy of metals is generally much lower than the ionization
energy of nonmetals, which is why metals will generally lose electrons to form positively-
charged ions while nonmetals will generally gain electrons to form negatively-charged
ions.

A neutral atom contains an equal number of Z protons in the nucleus and Z electrons in the
electron shell. The electrons' negative charges thus exactly cancel the protons' positive
charges. In the simple view of the Free electron model, a passing electron is therefore not
attracted to a neutral atom and cannot bind to it. In reality, however, the atomic electrons
form a cloud into which the additional electron penetrates, thus being exposed to a net
positive charge part of the time. Furthermore, the additional charge displaces the original
electrons and all of the Z + 1 electrons rearrange into a new configuration."CHOKOY825"

Ions
 Anions are negatively charged ions. They are negatively charged because there is
one more electron in its orbits than there would be should it be stable (Eg.: A
hydrogen nucleus with two electrons is an anion).

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  Cations are ions with positive charges. They are the opposite of anions, since they
have one less electron than they should have when stable.

 Dianion: a dianion is a species which has two negative charges on it; for example,
the aromatic dianion pentalene.

 Radical ions: radical ions are ions that contain an odd number of electrons and are
mostly very reactive and unstable.

Plasma

A collection of non-aqueous gas-like ions, or even a gas containing a proportion of

charged particles, is called a plasma, often called the fourth state of matter because its
properties are quite different from solids, liquids, and gases. Astrophysical plasmas
containing predominantly a mixture of electrons and protons, may make up as much as
99.9% of visible matter in the universe.[1]

Applications
Ions are essential to life. Sodium, potassium, calcium and other ions play an important role
in the cells of living organisms, particularly in cell membranes. They have many practical,
everyday applications in items such as smoke detectors, and are also finding use in
unconventional technologies such as ion engines. Inorganic dissolved ions are a
component of total dissolved solids, an indicator of water quality in widespread use.

Furthermore, negative ions are used in ion therapy which utilizes a special electronic
device that generates negatively charged particles. The purpose of this application is that
there may be some health benefit to a negatively charged environment, opposed to one that
is positively charged.

Ions are found in what has quickly become one of the most prevalent sources for long-
lasting, hand-held energy: Lithium-Ion batteries.

Common ions

Common Cations Common Anions

Common Formal Name Formula Alt. Name

Formula Historic Name
Name

Simple Anions
Simple Cations

Arsenide As3−
3+
Aluminum Al

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Barium Ba2+ Azide N3−

Beryllium Be2+ Bromide Br−

Caesium Cs+ Chloride Cl−

Calcium Ca2+ Fluoride F−

Chromium(II) Cr2+ Chromous Hydride H−

Chromium(III) Cr3+ Chromic Iodide I−

Chromium(VI) Cr6+ Chromyl Nitride N3−

Cobalt(II) Co2+ Cobaltous Oxide O2−

Cobalt(III) Co3+ Cobaltic Phosphide P3−

Copper(I) Cu+ Cuprous Sulphide S2−

Copper(II) Cu2+ Cupric Peroxide O22−

Copper(III) Cu3+ Oxoanions

Gallium Ga3+ Arsenate AsO43−

Helium He2+ (Alpha particle) Arsenite AsO33−

Hydrogen H+ (Proton) Borate BO33−

Iron(II) Fe2+ Ferrous Bromate BrO3−

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Iron(III) Fe3+ Ferric Hypobromite BrO−

Lead(II) Pb2+ Plumbous Carbonate CO32−

Lead(IV) Pb4+ Plumbic Hydrogen Carbonate HCO3− Bicarbonate

Lithium Li+ Hydroxide OH−

Magnesium Mg2+ Chlorate ClO3−

Manganese(II) Mn2+ Manganous Perchlorate ClO4−

Manganese(III) Mn3+ Manganic Chlorite ClO2−

Manganese(IV) Mn4+ Manganyl Hypochlorite ClO−

Manganese(VII) Mn7+ Chromate CrO42−

Mercury(II) Hg2+ Mercuric Dichromate Cr2O72−

Nickel(II) Ni2+ Nickelous Iodate IO3−

Nickel(III) Ni3+ Nickelic Nitrate NO3−

Potassium K+ Nitrite NO2−

Silver Ag+ Phosphate PO43−

Sodium Na+ Hydrogen Phosphate HPO42−

Strontium Sr2+

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Tin(II) Sn2+ Stannous Dihydrogen
H2PO4−
Phosphate

Tin(IV) Sn4+ Stannic

Permanganate MnO4−

Zinc Zn2+
Phosphite PO33−

Polyatomic Cations
Sulphate SO42−

Ammonium NH4+
Thiosulphate S2O32−

Hydronium H3O+
Hydrogen Sulphate HSO4− Bisulphate

Nitronium NO2+
Sulphite SO32−

Mercury(I) Hg22+ Mercurous

Hydrogen Sulphite HSO3− Bisulphite

Anions from Organic Acids

Acetate C2H3O2−

Formate HCO2−

Oxalate C2O42−

Hydrogen Oxalate HC2O4− Bioxalate

Other Anions

Hydrogen Sulphide HS− Bisulphide

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 Telluride Te2−

Amide NH2−

Cyanate OCN−

Thiocyanate SCN−

Cyanide CN−

References
1. ^ Plasma, Plasma, Everywere Science@NASA Headline news, Space Science n°
158, September 7, 1999.

 This can also be known as a 'Valency table'.

External links
 Niels Jonassen (Mr. Static) "Are Ions Good for You?" Compliance Engineering,
November 2002
 Graham P. Collins "Ion Power". A web article discussing research applications of
ionic states to quantum computing.
 Department of Education, Newfoundland and Labrador-Canada "Periodic Chart of
IonsPDF (70.9 KiB)". A Periodic table reporting ionic charges for every chemical
element.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion"