2.8 Ions and Charges

What are ions?

An ion is an atom or molecule that has gained or lost one or more electrons, giving it a charge. This occurs because the number of electrons is no longer equal to the number of protons. Since protons have a positive charge and electrons have a negative charge, an imbalance between the two creates a charged particle. Ions can be either positively charged (when electrons are lost) or negatively charged (when electrons are gained).