How to Use hydrogen ion in a Sentence

hydrogen ion

noun
  • The more hydrogen ions present, the more acidic the solution will be, and the lower the pH.
    SELF, 6 Sep. 2018
  • Further testing showed that the feet contained a molecular pump that moves around hydrogen ions, or protons, to make acid.
    Veronique Greenwood, New York Times, 14 June 2018
  • The first product of that reaction is a compound called carbonic acid, which soon gives up its hydrogen ion.
    WIRED, 2 Nov. 2022
  • For each lactate molecule produced by the body, one hydrogen ion is also formed.
    Jeff Gaudette, Outside Online, 3 Oct. 2018
  • At this point, lactate can’t grab its hydrogen ion to reduce the concentration of hydrogen in the muscle cell.
    Jeff Gaudette, Outside Online, 3 Oct. 2018
  • Excess electrons at the cathode stitch pairs of hydrogen ions into hydrogen gas (H2), which bubbles out of the water.
    Byrobert F. Service, science.org, 15 Mar. 2023
  • The enormous clouds emit large amounts of ultraviolet light with a spectral line produced by hydrogen ions, known as a Lyman-alpha line.
    Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, 21 Sep. 2016
  • After waiting for about 15 minutes, the scientists measured how many hydrogen ions had been produced to find the reaction rate.
    Elise Cutts, Scientific American, 4 Apr. 2023
  • When that carbon is absorbed, a series of chemical reactions takes place that produces more hydrogen ions and leads to more acidic waters.
    Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic, 4 Mar. 2019
  • The radio waves are calibrated to target just the less abundant material, in this case hydrogen ions.
    Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, 28 Aug. 2017
  • For starters, let’s talk about pH. A substance’s pH (potential hydrogen) is the measure of the hydrogen ion concentration within it.
    SELF, 6 Sep. 2018
  • At the cathode, catalysts split N2 molecules and prompt the hydrogen ions and electrons to react with nitrogen and make ammonia.
    Robert F. Service, Science | AAAS, 12 July 2018
  • Acid from citrus increases the hydrogen ion concentration in the solution, which results in the pectin molecules losing some charge.
    Catherine Hu, Discover Magazine, 4 Aug. 2015
  • The anode, covered with a catalyst, splits water molecules into O2, hydrogen ions, and electrons.
    Robert F. Service, Science | AAAS, 12 July 2018
  • The sun and all other stars generate light by nuclear fusion, smashing hydrogen ions together to form helium, a process that releases energy.
    Tim Folger, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2018
  • In the reaction, a molecule of hydrogen gas collides with one deuterium ion to produce a hydrogen ion and a heavy, deuterium-containing hydrogen molecule.
    Elise Cutts, Scientific American, 4 Apr. 2023
  • But hydrogen ions, single protons, have positive electric charges and naturally repel each other.
    Tim Folger, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2018
  • 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.
    oregonlive, 24 Jan. 2020
  • The excited hydrogen ions then slam into the more abundant deuterium ions, and resulting particles fly into the reactor's outer shell, generating heat and electricity.
    Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, 28 Aug. 2017
  • 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.
    Robert F. Service, Science | AAAS, 6 Nov. 2019

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hydrogen ion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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