Radical vs. Ion — What's the Difference?

Arising from or going to a root or source; basic

An ion () is a particle, atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of the electron is considered negative by convention.

Departing markedly from the usual or customary; extreme or drastic

An atom or a group of atoms that has acquired a net electric charge by gaining or losing one or more electrons.

Relating to or advocating fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practices, conditions, or institutions

An atom or group of atoms bearing an electrical charge, such as the sodium and chlorine atoms in a salt solution.

(Medicine) Relating to or being surgery that is extreme or drastic in an effort to eradicate all existing or potential disease

An atom or goup of atoms (radical) carrying an electrical charge. It is contrasted with neutral atoms or molecules, and free radicals. Certain compounds, such as sodium chloride, are composed of complementary ions in the solid (crystalline) as well as in solution. Others, notably acids such as hydrogen chloride, may occur as neutral molecules in the pure liquid or gas forms, and ionize almost completely in dilute aqueous solutions. In solutions (as in water) ions are frequently bound non-covalently with the molecules of solvent, and in that case are said to be solvated. According to the electrolytic dissociation theory, the molecules of electrolytes are divided into ions by water and other solvents. An ion consists of one or more atoms and carries one unit charges of electricity, 3.4 x 10-10 electrostatic units, or a multiple of this. Those which are positively electrified (hydrogen and the metals) are called cations; negative ions (hydroxyl and acidic atoms or groups) are called anions.

(Linguistics) Of or being a root

One of the small electrified particles into which the molecules of a gas are broken up under the action of the electric current, of ultraviolet and certain other rays, and of high temperatures. To the properties and behavior of ions the phenomena of the electric discharge through rarefied gases and many other important effects are ascribed. At low pressures the negative ions appear to be electrons; the positive ions, atoms minus an electron. At ordinary pressures each ion seems to include also a number of attached molecules. Ions may be formed in a gas in various ways.

Of, relating to, or arising from a root

A particle that is electrically charged (positive or negative); an atom or molecule or group that has lost or gained one or more electrons

Arising from the base of a stem or from a below-ground stem or rhizome

(Slang) Excellent; wonderful.

One who advocates fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practices, conditions, or institutions

(Mathematics) The root of a quantity as indicated by the radical sign.

Symbol R An atom or a group of atoms with one unpaired electron.

(Linguistics) See root1.

Any of the basic Chinese characters that are combined to form more complex characters.

Any of the traditional set of basic strokes or groups of strokes that make up Chinese characters and are used to classify and organize them in dictionaries.

Favoring fundamental change, or change at the root cause of a matter.

Pertaining to a root of a plant.

Pertaining to the basic or intrinsic nature of something.

Thoroughgoing; far-reaching.

Of or pertaining to the root of a word.

Produced using the root of the tongue.

Involving free radicals.

(math) Relating to a radix or mathematical root.

Excellent; awesome.

A member of the most progressive wing of the Liberal Party; someone favouring social reform (but generally stopping short of socialism).

A member of an influential, centrist political party favouring moderate social reform, a republican constitution, and secular politics.

A person with radical opinions.

(arithmetic) A root (of a number or quantity).

(linguistics) In logographic writing systems such as the Chinese writing system, the portion of a character (if any) that provides an indication of its meaning, as opposed to phonetic.

(linguistics)Celtic In Celtic languages, refers to the basic, underlying form of an initial consonant which can be further mutated under the Celtic initial consonant mutations.

(linguistics)Semitic linguistics In Semitic languages, any one of the set of consonants (typically three) that make up a root.

(chemistry) A group of atoms, joined by covalent bonds, that take part in reactions as a single unit.

(organic chemistry) A free radical.

Given an ideal I in a commutative ring R, another ideal, denoted Rad(I) or $\backslash sqrt\{I\}$, such that an element x ∈ R is in Rad(I) if, for some positive integer n, xⁿ ∈ I; equivalently, the intersection of all prime ideals containing I.

Given a ring R, an ideal containing elements of R that share a property considered, in some sense, "not good".

The intersection of maximal submodules of a given module.

(number theory) The product of the distinct prime factors of a given positive integer.

Of or pertaining to the root; proceeding directly from the root.

Hence: Of or pertaining to the root or origin; reaching to the center, to the foundation, to the ultimate sources, to the principles, or the like; original; fundamental; thorough-going; unsparing; extreme; as, radical evils; radical reform; a radical party.

Belonging to, or proceeding from, the root of a plant; as, radical tubers or hairs.

Relating, or belonging, to the root, or ultimate source of derivation; as, a radical verbal form.

Of or pertaining to a radix or root; as, a radical quantity; a radical sign. See below.

A primitive word; a radix, root, or simple, underived, uncompounded word; an etymon.

One who advocates radical changes in government or social institutions, especially such changes as are intended to level class inequalities; - opposed to conservative.

A characteristic, essential, and fundamental constituent of any compound; hence, sometimes, an atom.

Specifically, a group of two or more atoms, not completely saturated, which are so linked that their union implies certain properties, and are conveniently regarded as playing the part of a single atom; a residue; - called also a compound radical. Cf. Residue.

(chemistry) two or more atoms bound together as a single unit and forming part of a molecule

An atom or group of atoms with at least one unpaired electron; in the body it is usually an oxygen molecule than has lost an electron and will stabilize itself by stealing an electron from a nearby molecule;

A person who has radical ideas or opinions

A character conveying the lexical meaning of a logogram

A sign placed in front of an expression to denote that a root is to be extracted

(linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed;

(used of opinions and actions) far beyond the norm;

Markedly new or introducing radical change;

Arising from or going to the root;

Of or relating to or constituting a linguistic root;

Especially of leaves; located at the base of a plant or stem; especially arising directly from the root or rootstock or a root-like stem;