What term refers to an atom or group of atoms that has a positive or negative charge?

What term refers to an atom or group of atoms that has a positive or negative charge?

• A. Atom
• B. Hypothesis
• C. Ion
• D. Isotope

Answer: (C)

An ion is a charged atom or group of atoms. This happens when an atom loses or gains electrons, giving it a net positive or negative charge. For example, losing an electron makes a positively charged cation, while gaining an electron makes a negatively charged anion. An atom on its own is neutral unless it becomes ionized. A hypothesis is a tentative explanation used in testing ideas, and an isotope refers to atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons, which changes mass but not the typical charge. So the term that specifically describes a charged species is ion.

An ion is a charged atom or group of atoms. This happens when an atom loses or gains electrons, giving it a net positive or negative charge. For example, losing an electron makes a positively charged cation, while gaining an electron makes a negatively charged anion. An atom on its own is neutral unless it becomes ionized. A hypothesis is a tentative explanation used in testing ideas, and an isotope refers to atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons, which changes mass but not the typical charge. So the term that specifically describes a charged species is ion.