Answer to Question #65032 in General Chemistry for Zeke Hernandez

Question

what is the difference of an anion and a cation

Answer 1

Question: what is the difference of an anion and a cation?
Solution: Cations and anions are two different types of ions – particles of substance that have unequal number of protons and electrons. In this case, the fundamental difference between a cation and an anion is what type of particles (protons or electrons) they have more: cations have more protons than electrons and anions – more electrons than protons. It give rise to another difference between them: cations are positively charged, but anions – negatively charged. So, in external electrical field they moves to different electrodes: cations move to cathode (negatively charged) and anions move to anode (positively charged).
Answer: The basic difference: a cation has more protons than electrons; an anion has more electrons than protons. The additional properties: cations are positively charged and move to negatively charged electrode (cathode) in external electrical field; anions are negatively charged and move to positively charged electrode (anode) in external electrical field.