Ion

An ion is like a little ball of electricity. Imagine a tiny ball with a plus or minus sign on it. This sign tells you if the ion has more positive or negative energy in it.

Ions are made up of atoms, which are like tiny building blocks that make up everything around us. Sometimes, an atom can lose or gain an electron which makes it into an ion.

But why do they do this? Well, atoms like to have a balance of positive and negative energy. When an atom loses an electron, it becomes more positive because it now has more protons than electrons. When an atom gains an electron, it becomes more negative because it now has more electrons than protons.

Ions can do some pretty cool things because of their electric charge. They can create chemical reactions or move around in an electric field. Some common examples of ions are salt, which is made up of sodium and chloride ions, or the ions in batteries that help power our devices.

So next time you see a little ball with a plus or minus sign on it, remember that it's an ion with a lot of electric energy!