[c.hughes87]

In the wikipedia pages for Cadmium Telluride and Zinc Telluride it says that they are cations of each other. From my limited knowledge this makes no sense. First of all, if one compound is the cation of the other, how can the reverse be true? Shouldn't one have less electrons than the other and therefore the reverse can't possibly be true. Second, Cadmium and Zinc have different numbers of protons in them, so how could they possibly have an ion relationship even if they are bonded with Telluride? My understanding of ions is that one atom is an ion of another on the condition that they have the same number of protons. This is obviously incorrect. What are the conditions for there to be an ion relationship between molecules?

Thanks for any help

[Borek]

In the wikipedia pages for Cadmium Telluride and Zinc Telluride it says that they are cations of each other.

Were is it stated?

I guess that you think about the list on the right - it contains similar compounds, so for example when camdium telluride page states "other cation" it means "other tellurides, that differ by cation only". It doesn't state "they are cations of each other" - whatever it could mean.

[c.hughes87]

That makes much more sense. Thanks  .