Understanding Electrically Charged Atoms: The Concept of Ions

What is an electrically charged atom?

A. ion
B. isotope
C. molecule
D. compound

Answer: Option (A) is the correct answer.

When a neutral atom loses an electron, it acquires a negative charge, and if a neutral atom gains an electron, it acquires a positive charge. This process forms an ion in both cases. For example, when sodium loses an electron, it becomes Na+ ion. An isotope is a specie that contains the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons, like 14N and 15N. A molecule is a substance that contains chemically combined two or more atoms of an element, such as Cl2. On the other hand, a compound is a substance in which atoms of different elements chemically combine together in a fixed ratio by mass, like H2O.

Therefore, we can conclude that an ion is an electrically charged atom.