Union it's a atom or a group of atoms that either by the circumstance of having lost or gained electrons added an electric charge, that is, ions are atoms that are not neutral in electrical matter.
This phenomenon of gaining or losing electrons is known in chemistry as ionization and consists of the separation of two united elements, in this case a molecule in different ions. Basically, then, what ionization does, what it generates, produces, are ions and what we explained before about an atom that gains electrical charge either because it gains or loses electrons.
Now there are two possibilities, one chemical ionization or a physical ionization. In the first there is transfer of electrons and in the second what is done is to isolate the electrons that make up the molecule that is neutral and provide it with the energy they need, through mechanisms such as: ultraviolet light, submission to high temperatures, X-rays, application of an electric field.
Two fundamental scenarios
Now, there are two alternatives, that the ion is negatively or positively charged. In the first case this is so because there are more electrons than protons and it is called anion atom. While the second case is characterized by a loss of electrons and is known as cation.
Present in everyday life
As with other scientific concepts belonging to the fields of physics and chemistry, they do not enjoy enormous popularity in terms of use in common and colloquial language, however, we must emphasize that although their use is almost exclusive in the language and in the discussion of science, ions are elements that are super present in our daily lives ...
In molecular biology or in industry, for example, ions are essential since they consist of essential components of living beings or are used to create specific machinery such as motors, respectively.
