Definition of hydrogen ion
1 : the cation H+ of acids consisting of a hydrogen atom whose electron has been transferred to the anion of the acid
2 : hydronium
Examples of hydrogen ion in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web Meanwhile, on the tube’s outer surface, the second catalyst—which contains vanadium, nitrogen, and iron—causes the hydrogen ions, the electrons, and nitrogen molecules piped in separately to form ammonia, all at atmospheric pressure.
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Robert F. Service, Science | AAAS, "New reactor could halve carbon dioxide emissions from ammonia production," 6 Nov. 2019 As the carbon mixes into the ocean, chemical reactions in the water column produce more hydrogen ions and fewer carbonate ions, lowering pH levels and increasing acidity.
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oregonlive, "Ocean acidification is impacting Dungeness crabs, Oregon’s most-valuable fishery, study shows," 24 Jan. 2020 When that carbon is absorbed, a series of chemical reactions takes place that produces more hydrogen ions and leads to more acidic waters.
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Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic, "The Pacific Ocean, explained," 4 Mar. 2019 But hydrogen ions, single protons, have positive electric charges and naturally repel each other.
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Tim Folger, Discover Magazine, "How Quantum Mechanics Lets Us See, Smell and Touch," 24 Oct. 2018 The more hydrogen ions present, the more acidic the solution will be, and the lower the pH.
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SELF, "What Even Is Alkaline Water and Is It Really Better Than Regular Water?," 6 Sep. 2018 The sun and all other stars generate light by nuclear fusion, smashing hydrogen ions together to form helium, a process that releases energy.
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Tim Folger, Discover Magazine, "How Quantum Mechanics Lets Us See, Smell and Touch," 24 Oct. 2018 For starters, let’s talk about pH. A substance’s pH (potential hydrogen) is the measure of the hydrogen ion concentration within it.
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SELF, "What Even Is Alkaline Water and Is It Really Better Than Regular Water?," 6 Sep. 2018 The enormous clouds emit large amounts of ultraviolet light with a spectral line produced by hydrogen ions, known as a Lyman-alpha line.
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Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, "Giant Glowing Space Blob's Power Source Discovered," 21 Sep. 2016
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hydrogen ion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for hydrogen ion
The first known use of hydrogen ion was in 1896
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