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Meaning & use

ionization

noun·Advancedtechnicalchemistryphysics

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UK/ˌaɪənaɪˈzeɪʃn/
US/ˌaɪənəˈzeɪʃn/

Meanings

  1. noununcountabletechnical

    The process in which an atom or molecule gains or loses one or more electrons and so becomes an electrically charged ion.

    Grammar: Usually uncountable: ionization occurs. British spelling is ionisation.

    Patterns

    • the ionization of something
    • ionization by something

    The ionization of the gas produced a faint purple glow in the tube.

    Radiation can cause ionization in living cells.

    Table salt dissolves in water through ionization into sodium and chloride ions.

  2. noununcountablechemistry

    The splitting of a dissolved acid or base into ions in water, which determines how strongly it conducts electricity.

    Grammar: Common in school chemistry, especially about acids.

    Patterns

    • the ionization of an acid

    Strong acids show almost complete ionization in water.

    The student measured how the ionization of the weak acid changed with temperature.

Common combinations

ionization energy
The ionization energy of sodium is lower than that of chlorine.
degree of ionization
The degree of ionization depends on the temperature of the solution.
ionization chamber
The smoke detector contains a small ionization chamber.
ionization of a gas
Lightning causes strong ionization of the air.
radiation-induced ionization
Radiation-induced ionization can damage DNA.

Synonyms and how they differ

ionisation
This is the British spelling of the same word, with no difference in meaning.
dissociation
Dissociation is the broader splitting of a compound into parts, and only counts as ionization when the parts are ions.

Opposites

recombination

Word family

ion noun
an atom or molecule with an electric charge
ionize verb
to turn into ions or cause to turn into ions
ionized adjective
having been turned into ions
ionic adjective
relating to ions
ionosphere noun
an upper layer of the atmosphere full of ions

Commonly confused: ionization or ionizing?

ionization vs ionizing

Ionizing is an adjective, as in ionizing radiation, while ionization is the noun naming the process itself.

Practice

What happens during the ionization of an atom?

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