Thanks Ivan, I think I am actually starting to *get* this a little.:o) Jo
>Mercer, > >An ion is a charged particle. >A particle becomes charged by gaining or losing an electron (one or >more) giving a net negative and positive charge respectively. >However a charged particle may have different configurations and >sizes. A charged particle may be a single atom which has gained or >lost an electron (eg Ag+) or a molecule, made up of more than one atom >of the same element (eg O3-) or different elements (NO3-). >A colloid by definition is a particle larger than about 1nm and may be >charged or not. >A colloid of charged particles is ionic. > >Because the definitions are not precise some confusion arises when >comparing colloids and ions, and the subject is further confused by >the fact that colloids at the minimum size range act more like true >solutions than classic colloids. > >Some salts (eg AgNO3) dissolve completely in water, into their >component ions (Ag+ and NO3-) and the solution is said to be an >electrolyte because it will pass a current, a result of having >discrete and free ions. >The positive ion is called a cation (Ag+) and the negative an anion >(NO3-). > >When someone refers to an ionic silver solution, one supposes that >they referring to a solution containing free single Ag+ ions, by the >reference to the term 'solution'. The ions in this case would be the >smallest division of silver possible (almost) and would have a radius >of 0.123 nm and an effective radius in water of about 0.149 nm. > >An ionic silver colloid (which any electrically generated CS is, >primarily.) is composed of clusters of single atom ions, probably in a >fractal arrangement and would seem to have a radius from about 0.5 nm >and larger. There may also be some elemental silver particles etc. >depending upon the generating parameters. > >So the answer to the question, are ionic particles are smaller than >colloids, requires more information. Ionic particles can be smaller >than colloidal particles, but not necessarily by much. >The question of what happens to the colloids when they enter the body, >whether they remain as clusters or are disassociated to discrete ions >also needs answering. > >Regards >Ivan. > >> Mercer wrote: >> >> > Could someone please tell me in plain english, suitable for a >blond, whether >> > colloidal particles are smaller than ionic or the opposite is true >and >> > whether one is better to take than the other? I know this may be >debatable >> > but I gotta' know. :o) >> > >> > So far the ionics are winning with me. >> > >> > Jo >> > > > > >-- >The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver. > >To join or quit silver-list or silver-digest send an e-mail message to: >silver-list-requ...@eskimo.com -or- silver-digest-requ...@eskimo.com >with the word subscribe or unsubscribe in the SUBJECT line. > >To post, address your message to: silver-list@eskimo.com >Silver-list archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html >List maintainer: Mike Devour <mdev...@id.net> >
