Properties of Cations
Various properties of the cations are,
- Cations are normally made up of metal atoms, however positive radical ions, such as ammonium ion (NH4+), can have several atoms.
- Because they have more protons than electrons, cations are positively charged. As a result, cations have an electron deficit.
- The ionic radius of cations is used to determine their size, and cations have a smaller radius than their parent atoms in general because they have one orbit less.
- The smallest cation with no electron is hydrogen, which is substantially smaller than its parent atom.
- In crystalline materials, anions take up the majority of the lattice space, leaving cations to fill in the gaps.
- Cations are highly reactive in the gaseous state and will react with anions to generate neutral molecules. Cations, on the other hand, can exist in both liquid and solid states.
- Cation interacts with the solvent in the liquid state to generate solvated ions, which are significantly more stable.
Cations vs Anions
Ions are charged species that are formed by the transfer of electrons from the outermost shell. Ions are either positive or negative in nature depending on the overall charge of the ion. If an atom loses an electron it has excess proton forming positive ions whereas if an atom gains an electron it has excess electrons forming negative ions.
In an aqueous solution of sodium chloride (NaCl), Na exists as a positive ion (cation) Na+, while Cl exists as a negative ion (anion) Cl–. Because both of them have opposite charges they are attracted to one another creating an ionic bond.
Let’s learn more about ions, their types (cations and anions), and the difference between cations and anions in this article.
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