Ion

Real World Example

Imagine you're in a group of friends trying to divvy up a pizza, but one person ends up with an extra slice while another has one slice less than they wanted. This situation is similar to an atom becoming an ion because it gains or loses an electron, thus altering its balance. Just like the friend with the extra slice has more than the typical share (a lot like a negatively charged ion with an extra electron), and the friend with less feels a bit shortchanged (similar to a positively charged ion missing an electron), an atom's charge changes based on its gain or loss of electrons, mirroring the imbalance in the pizza slices among friends.