What is the charge of an ion when it has no charge?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the charge of an ion when it is stated that there is no charge. This may refer to the distinction between ions (which carry a charge) and neutral atoms or particles, leading to an exploration of how charge is defined in chemistry.
Answer
If an ion has no charge, it is a neutral atom.
If an ion has no charge, it is actually not an ion but a neutral atom.
Answer for screen readers
If an ion has no charge, it is actually not an ion but a neutral atom.
More Information
An ion by definition is an atom or molecule that has a net electric charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons. If it has equal numbers of protons and electrons, it is neutral and not considered an ion.
Tips
A common mistake is to confuse neutral atoms with ions. Ions must have an imbalance between protons and electrons.
Sources
- What is an atom called when it has no charge? - Socratic - socratic.org
- Ion - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
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