Examples of Atoms That are Ionized
[caption id="attachment_15556" align="alignleft" width="440"] H +1, H atom, H -1. Image by Jkwchui CC-by-SA3.0[/caption] Not all atoms are atoms that are ionized. All atoms have a nucleus containing protons and neutrons. That nucleus is surrounded by one or more orbitals that contain electrons. The total charge of a neutral atom equals zero. The number of protons equals the number of electrons. If the number of electrons increases or decreases, an atom is ionized. It is either a cation (positive ion) or an anion (negative ion). Atoms That Are Ionized The same thing can happen to small collections of bonded atoms. By definition, an atom oxidizes to a cation or reduces to an anion. Positively Charged Atoms (Cations) Atoms that are ionized have lost energy and become more stable in so…