Comment on “Measurements of the hydration numbers for halide ions by the mass spectrometric method of field evaporation of ions out of solution” [Chem. Phys. Lett. 242 (1995) 390]

It has been suggested by Dunsyuryun, Karpov and Morozov that two different terms should be used to describe the solvation of halide ions in aqueous solutions. The term co-ordination number gives the primary `solvation numberʹ (ca. 6), whilst the term hydration number gives the number of water molecules that stay co-ordinated to the anions as they move through the liquid (ca. 2). Here it is suggested that since these two terms are widely used to mean the same thing, it is better not to change one of them. It is also suggested that the number of water molecules that move with ions is variable and ill defined and that it is not appropriate to specify a precise number for this.