What does ionize mean?

Ionizing - that is what the term means

• Atoms consist of a positively charged nucleus and a negatively charged electron shell. Depending on the element, the core and the shell contain more or less charged particles, but the charge balance between them is always balanced, i.e. the atom is neutral.
• The simplest element, hydrogen, contains only one positive charge (the proton) in the nucleus, the shell consists of only one electron.
• If one or more electrons are removed from the electron shell, the remaining atom is no longer neutral, but has an excess positive charge in the nucleus.
• Such atoms are both in the physics also called chemistry "ions", the process of tearing electrons away means "ionize" (the verb) or Ionization (the associated noun).
• Not only for atoms, but also for molecules, "ionizing" means that electrons are torn from it.
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Atom - definition and structure in physics

What actually is an atom? If this question concerns you, then you can here ...

By the way: In the chemistry The accumulation of negative charges (i.e. electrons) or ions through the dissociation of molecules in solutions can also form. However, these processes are not generally referred to as "ionizing".

Ionizing - this is how it is done

But how can one wrest one or more electrons from an atom? In fact, there are several methods here, some of which we want to mention here:

• Under the influence of ionizing radiation (hence the name) it comes to collisions with the shell electrons, which with sufficient energy to be "kicked out". The technical term is called impact ionization. Ionizing radiation can be accelerated electrons, but also high-energy X-rays or gamma rays.
• With sufficiently large electric fields, electrons can be snatched from atoms; For example, the molecules in the air can also be ionized so that it becomes conductive (lightning). This process is called field emission.