What is difference between (1) Anion & Anode (2) Cation & Cathode?
Anion is a negative ion like you can probably name so many examples. ##Cl^(-)## ##CO_3^(2-)##
Anode however is the POSITIVE electrode used in electrolytic cells for instance, or in electrophoresis.
Why the two seem related (and the nascent confusion I used to have too) is that the ANODE attracts anions.
For the Cathode/Cation dilemma, the same applies but in reverse: cation is the positive ion, while Cathode is negative electrode.
When there’s ‘-ode’ it’s concerning electrodes, and when it ends in ‘-ion’…you can end the sentence! 😉 Another piece of advice I can offer on the matter is to remember ONLY one of the 4.
Say you recall Anode is positive.
Anode attracts anions —> anions must be negative
Then if anode is positive, cathode must be negative.
Hence cathode in turn attracts cations.