Using the words glass and grass, students practice using the G-blends at the start of a word. Students have to write a sentence using the word and think of three more words that start with the same blend.
Ions are electrically charged particles. Cations have a positive (+ ) charge. Anions have a negative (-) charge. Ions have a charge because electrons can be transferred. The charge is produced when atoms gain electrons (to form anions) or lose electrons (to form cations). Sodium, Na, is in group 1A. It loses one electron to form the sodium ion, Na1+. The charge is written after the symbol as a superscript.
Ion vs Isotope. All matter is composed of atoms which are made up of negatively charged electrons surrounding a central nucleus. The nucleus is formed with positively charged protons and neutral neutrons while the electrons are held together by an electromagnetic force. An atom which may be negatively or positively charged is called an ion. An ion is formed when there is an electron deficiency or excess; in which case a deficiency would mean a positively charged atom or ion while an excess would mean a negatively charged atom or ion.