Spectator Ion

Imagine attending a group meeting where everyone is actively discussing a project, but there's that one colleague who is present just to listen and never contributes to the conversation. Similarly, in a chemical reaction, a spectator ion is present in the solution but doesn't actively participate in the reaction itself. Just like that silent colleague, the spectator ion is there, part of the scene, but does not affect the outcome of the reaction, merely observing as other ions or molecules interact and change.