What's the difference between an atom and an ion?

Atoms and ions are both made up of proton's and neutrons in the nucleus with electrons orbiting around. The difference is atom's have equal number of proton's and electrons while ions have more or less electrons than proton's (for a given element).

OB
Answered by Oliver B. Chemistry tutor

10674 Views

See similar Chemistry GCSE tutors

Related Chemistry GCSE answers

All answers ▸

What are the different types of bonding?


How does bonding effect the melting point of a substance?


How does one test for halide ions?


What do I need to know about fractional distillation?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning