ions and atoms

what is the difference between ions and atoms?

Ion are atoms which have lost or gained one or more electrons.

Atoms are the theoritical limit of particles of mass (matter) which having associated chemical properties. Based on a balanced positve = negative (ratio) of charge; ie proton to electron ratio.
An ion this ratio has changed; a negative ion has proton< electron ratio, this produces a contracted nucleus, =>higher density =>less volume.
The alternate positve ion has proton charge greater than electron; (+)> (-) & an expanded nucleus.
Some ions form as molecules of compounds or form polar molecules. Water being one of the most common & important forms a basic nessecity of life.
Maintaining hydration is fundalmental to body (blood) chemistry as it is to acid /base chemistry.
Salt is the dyhydrated form of an acid & a base (ion pairs).
[Did I get that right?] anyway, electrostatic attraction
<=> repulsion ,form a promenient type of chemical bond.

quote:

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Salt is the dyhydrated form of an acid & a base (ion pairs).

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Salt is Na (sodium+) and Cl- (Chloride).
This is a compound. Sodium is not an acid, because it cannot donate a H+. Chloride is not a base because it has no OH- group. The sodium can satisfy the Cl- with its positive charge, thus making salt a stable compound.

But to say its an acid base pair is incorrect.

Ions can be +ve or -ve charged. And when paired create salts, usually inorganic.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acids
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_%28chemistry%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salts

In chemistry, an ionic compound is a chemical compound in which ions are held together in a lattice structure by ionic bonds. To form an ionic compound, there needs to be at least one metal and one non-metal. The metal element is usually the positive charge and the non-metal element is a negative charge.

Ions can be single atoms, as in common table salt sodium chloride, or more complex groups such as calcium carbonate. But to be considered ions, they must carry a positive or negative charge due to an imbalance in the ratio of protons to electrons.

Thus, in an ionic bond, one 'bonder' must have a positive charge and the other a negative one. By sticking to each other, they resolve, or partially resolve, their separate charge imbalances. Positive to positive and negative to negative ionic bonds do not occur (for a real world analogy, experiment with a pair of bar magnets.)

Some properties of ionic compounds are high melting and boiling points and good conductivity when molten or in solution. Ionic compounds are solids at room temperature and will usually form crystals.

quote:

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Salt is Na (sodium+) and Cl- (Chloride).
This is a compound. Sodium is not an acid, because it cannot donate a H+. Chloride is not a base because it has no OH- group. The sodium can satisfy the Cl- with its positive charge, thus making salt a stable compound.

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Excuse me but I tend to think about acid & bases relating them to more common experiences like establish the ph & chlorine content in a swimming pool. We use a variety of acids to form equalibrium with various compounds solubility to set & maintain the level of chlorine in solution.