Chemistry
The Importance of Ions
In chemistry, we attempt to grasp numerous rules and facts so that we can better understand the world around us down to the most basic of levels. Ions are amongst the most important binding agents of the universe and the least significant item on a person’s list of graces at thanksgiving. A key to being able to comprehend how chemistry works is knowing what ions are, the job they perform, and how crucial their impact on everything is.
What is an ion? The most cookie cutter, “don’t bother me” answer would be “A positively or negatively charged atom or group of atoms. See also cation, anion.” But what is an electrically charged atom/ group of atoms? They are the most basic building block of everything we know with endless combinations which provide for and explain why there is an endless list of different objects and substances in the universe. Atoms are composed of three parts: the positive proton, the nobody neutral neutron, and the very negative electron. The charge of an atom can be seen as a majority vote determined between protons and electrons, neutrons have nothing to do with this as they represent the guys who are in on the ride but never bother to go to election. Atoms generally will be in a stalemate, the number of protons matching the number of electrons. But every once in awhile an electron might not be where it is supposed to be, either an outsider joining the group or not even there for some reason or another. This results in the formation of the ion. All atoms can form ions with some gases being exceptions. Elements like Neon, Argon, Krypton, and Xenon are devoid off discontent amongst their protons and electrons and so exist like utopian societies free of needs and wants. It is virtually impossible for their atoms to lose or gain electrons. Not to interesting right? Well some people thought/think it is.
The Essay on Electrons Protons Neutrons Number
33. Elements differ according to the number of protons their atoms contain, a value called the element's atomic number. All atoms of a given element have the same number of protons and an equal number of electrons. The number of neutrons in an atom is not predictable but is generally as great or greater than the number of protons. The total number of protons plus neutrons in an atom is called the ...
Way back in the days of the 1800’s (the first half where not much anything interesting happened with the exception of this, the War of 1812 and Napoleon) a English scientist named Michael Faraday made the discovery that certain substances when dissolved in water conduct an electric current. He also noticed that certain compounds decompose into their elements by passing an electric current through the compound. Atoms of some of the elements are attracted to the positive electrode (basically a charged metal plate, we use metal for its conductive qualities), while other elements are attracted to the negative electrode. Faraday concluded that these atoms are electrically charged. He gave them the very nice name of ions, which comes from a Greek word meaning “wanderer”.
Any moving charge is an electrical current and must travel through a substance known as a conducting medium, which are commonly in the form of metal wires (why you don’t let your puppy chew wires).
The Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius furthered Faraday’s work in the mid-1800‘s. He coined the terms cation for positive ions that traveled to the cathode (negatively charged electrode) and anion for those that traveled to the anode (positively charged electrode).
In 1891, Irish physicist G. J. Stoney realized from Faraday’s and Arrhenius’s work that there must have been a fundamental unit of electricity associated with atoms. He called the unit the electron in 1891, although unfortunately without experimental proof. Luckily, his idea was later proved true experimentally by English scientist Joseph Thomson, and the idea of the electrically charged atom we have come to know and love lives on today.
As stated before, ions help and allow for the creation of an endless amount of compounds. Ionic compounds are formed from ions binding with other ions so as to fulfill each others needs. Ions are courteous though, never stealing (at least I‘ve never heard of) ions away from other compounds to satisfy their own needs. This allows for the creation of many useful substances such as table salt, which is a positively charged sodium ion sharing an electron with a needy negatively charged chlorine ion.
The Essay on Amino Acid Atoms Bonds Hydrogen
Chapters 2 & 3 Study Guide (Chapter 2) Atoms: Consist of Protons (+), Neutrons, and Electrons (-) - Number of Protons = Number of Electrons - Protons + Neutrons = Mass Number - Number of Protons = Atomic Number Isotopes: Same number of protons but different number of neutrons - All isotopes of an element interact with other atoms in the same way Orbitals: - Can house 1 or at most 2 electrons - ...
Ions have a bigger significance in our lives than is seen on first glance. Without ionic bonds, our world would be like a house without nails, nuts, or bolts. Life would not be possible because even though organic compounds for the most part are not ionic, it requires certain ionic compounds in order to function properly in almost any case. Going back to salt, the human body needs at least six grams and uses it for recovery, maintenance, and for helping to facilitate the electrical charges cells give off to communicate. Many substances on earth are ionic compounds, there are over 11 million known and still counting. Without ions the fabric of space would probably fall apart, chemistry students would be upset at having one less aspect of chemistry to learn, and food would be a lot less delicious.
Bibliography
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_organic_compound_an_ionic_compound
http://misterguch.brinkster.net/ionic.html
Chemistry text book (Foundations of College Chemistry 11th edition by Hein and Arena)
