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WE'RE IONS, NOT JUST ATOMS

Tune: Leaving On a Jet Plane
From: John Denver

By Jamie R. Smith
Evanston Township High School
Evanston, IL

When it comes to bonds
There're multiple types
Some proudly bear their sharing stripes
I hate to say, we're not that sharing kind
It\'s not that we're greedy; that you can't say
We just keep electrons our own way
We give or take, don't share, but keep in mind

It's about stable levels
We all need security
We get that through electrons, you see
We're ions, not just atoms
We gain and lose outer electrons
That's why we have a charge

Electrons have a negative charge
So gaining them gives the same charge
But it's positive, when they're subtracted
Protons have a charge, it's positive
So to lose an e-, it's opposite
Gain positive charge, ions now get attracted

It's about stable levels
We all need security
We get that through electrons, you see
We're ions, not just atoms
We gain and lose outer electrons
That's why we have a charge

Try to fill our outer orbits
To do so, we lose or gain
Give us charges, depending which we do
Opposite charges, funny thing
Us to each other, they do bring
Attraction makes us ions bond, it's true...

It's about stable levels
We all need security
We get that through electrons, you see
We're ions, not just atoms
We gain and lose outer electrons
Gives us opposite charges
And makes us form ionic bonds
Ions, not just atoms
This makes us form ionic bonds
Because of our charges