What is the difference between an atom and an ion?

Ions are atoms or molecules that have gained or lost one or more of their valence electrons and therefore have a net positive or negative charge. An atom can be an ion, but not all ions are atoms. There are distinct differences between an atom and an ion. read more

Each type of atom is assigned an atomic number which tells the number of protons in the atom. Normally, an atom has the same number of positive particles (protons) and negative particles (electrons). So the number of protons is identical to the number of electrons, and both are identical to the atomic number. read more

Atom vs Ion An Atom is the smallest and an indivisible unit of matter. Ions are Atoms where the protons and the electrons are not equal. Ions would therefore be either positive or negatively charged. read more

The difference between an atom and an ion has to do with net electrical charge. An ion is a particle or collection of particles with a net positive or negative charge. An atom is the basic unit of an element. The identity of an element is determined by the number of positively charged protons in the atom’s nucleus. read more