Biology / Unit 1 Bio 0127 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Ions
Captions available
The idea
An ion is an atom that has gained or lost one or more electrons, giving it a net electric charge.
In practice
Sodium loses its one outer electron to become a positively charged ion; chlorine gains an electron to become a negatively charged ion.
Where people slip
An ion's charge comes from an imbalance between protons and electrons, never from a change in its number of protons.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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