What is the major difference between an ion and a dipole?

- an ion is permanently charged, but a dipole is not.

- an ion is either positively or negatively charged, but a dipole has both charges.

- an ion engages in weaker bonds than a dipole.

- an ion can only interact with other ions, while a dipole can interact with many molecules.

Consideting the definition of ion and dipolo, the correct answer is the second option: An ion is either positively or negatively charged, but a dipole has both charges.

Ions are atoms or groups of atoms that have an electrical charge. This charged particle can be positive or negative. A cation is a positively charged ion and an anion is a negatively charged one (atom or molecule).

In other words, an ion is an electrically charged atom or molecule, due to the fact that it has gained or lost electrons from its normal condition.

Negatively charged ions due to electron gain are known as anions, while positively charged ions due to electron loss are known as cations.

A molecule is a dipole when there is an asymmetric distribution of electrons because the molecule is made up of atoms of different electronegativity. As a consequence, the electrons are preferably in the vicinity of the most electronegative atom.

That is, an electric dipole is a system of two charges of opposite sign and equal magnitude that are close to each other but have no net charge.

So, considering the previous definitions, the correct answer is the second option: An ion is either positively or negatively charged, but a dipole has both charges.

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Key differences between ion/ion and ion/dipole interactions

Ion-ion interactions fall off slower than ion-dipole. Tripling the distance between two ions reduces the energy by 1/3, while tripling the distance between the ion and a dipole reduces it by 1/9

Letter B

Explanation: