cation
Other forms: cations
In science, a cation is an ion, or charged particle, with a positive charge. In other words, a cation has more protons than electrons.
If you come across the word ion in a chemistry or physics class, cation and anion won't be far behind. An ion is a particle that has an electrical charge. When an ion's charge is negative, it's more specifically called an anion, and when it's positive, you can use the term cation. The Greek source is kation, which means "going down."
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a positively charged iontypes:hydrogen iona positively charged atom of hydrogen; that is to say, a normal hydrogen atomic nucleusdiazoniumthe univalent cation R-N:N- (where R is an aromatic hydrocarbon); found in salts that are used in manufacturing azo dyestype of:iona particle that is electrically charged (positive or negative); an atom or molecule or group that has lost or gained one or more electrons
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Vocabulary lists containing cation
Learn these words derived from the Greek root kata-, which has a range of meanings including "down," "through," "against" "across," "along with," and "wrongly."
If you want a solid grasp of the properties of matter, review this vocabulary list. You'll learn about the phases of matter, the structure of atoms, and the properties of different elements. It's mind over matter!
