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A coion has electric charge of the same sign as the reference interface or particle. Its number density is depleted near that interface in the simplest Poisson-Boltzmann equation description. A counterion has the opposite sign. These roles depend on the reference charge: near a positively charged sphere in magnesium chloride, magnesium ions are coions and chloride ions are counterions.

An electric double layer consists of an interfacial electric charge and the compensating distribution of mobile ions in the adjacent chemical solution. Counterions are enriched and coions depleted near a simple charged interface. A diffuse layer is described approximately by the Poisson-Boltzmann equation; a compact specifically adsorbed layer requires additional surface chemistry. Overlap of diffuse layers can produce a screened repulsion between like-charged colloids.

In a magnesium chloride chemical solution, the principal pair interactions are hard sphere exclusion, repulsion of overlapping electric double layers, and attractive Van der Waals forces. The positive surface attracts chloride counterions and repels magnesium coions; mobile ions screen the bare Coulomb's law interaction. The competition between screened electrostatic repulsion and Van der Waals force attraction is described by DLVO theory.

For well-separated identical weakly charged spheres, the approximate repulsive pair potential energy, at centre separation $R\ge 2a$, isIt is a screened Coulomb pair potential. An attractive Hamaker constant adds a negative short-range contribution, while overlap is forbidden. Very near contact, solvation and molecular surface structure can also matter. No polymer-induced interaction should be assumed before polymer is added in part (f).

The particle carries positive surface charge density $\sigma =Q/(4\pi a^2)$. Its surrounding electric double layer has an excess of negative chloride counterions and a deficit of positive magnesium coions. Thus $\varphi (r)>0$ decreases to zero, $n_{\mathrm{Cl}}(r)$ decreases towards its bulk value, and $n_{\mathrm{Mg}}(r)$ increases towards its bulk value. The diffuse charge density is negative and tends to zero.

If $c$ denotes the bulk number of dissolved salt formula units per unit volume, the far-field number densities are $n_{\mathrm{Mg},\infty }=c$ and $n_{\mathrm{Cl},\infty }=2c$. The bulk is neutral even though these number densities differ. In the dilute mean-field picture the total diffuse electric charge is $-Q$, ensuring overall electroneutrality. A molecularly bound compact layer would require additional surface-chemistry information and is not assumed in the supplied potential.