Question

what is the difference between a neutral atom and a positive ion?

Answer 1

Neutral Atom:

• It is an atom of an element with equal number of protons and electrons, such that the net charge on atom is zero.

• Neutral atoms are not attracted by any electric field.

• Examples : Ca , Na , Mg , etc.

Positive Ion:

• It is also known as Cation.

• It has lesser number of electrons as compared to protons. This leads to a net positive charge.

• It is attracted/repelled under the presence of electric field.

• Examples : Ca+2 , Mg+2 , Na+

$\star$ Hope It Helps.

Answer 2

Ions are atoms with unequal numbers of electrons and protons. Ions are electrically charged particles. Ions can be either positively or negatively charged.

When the number of protons and electrons in an atom is equal, the atom is said to be electrically neutral. When an atom's protons and electrons are unequally distributed, the atom is electrically charged (and is hence referred to as an ion rather than an atom).

Atoms are neutral because they have the same number of protons and electrons as they do electrons. The number of protons in an ion does not vary when it is produced. By removing one or more electrons from neutral atoms, they can be converted to positively charged ions. For example, a neutral sodium atom has 11 protons and 11 electrons.