Ionization

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ionization

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary ionizing agents?High-energy photons, charged particles, thermal excitation, and strong electric fields
2. What is the related scientific fields?Atomic physics, plasma physics, atmospheric science, and astrochemistry
3. How does a photon cause ionization?When a photon has enough energy, it can strike an atom and knock out an electron, turning the atom into an ion.
4. Why do stars have lots of ionized atoms?The very high temperatures in stars give atoms enough energy to lose electrons, creating a plasma that allows nuclear fusion to happen.

Ionization Energy: The energy needed to remove an electron from an atom or molecule, creating an ion.
Plasma: A state of matter consisting of a collection of ions and free electrons, often called the fourth state of matter.
Photoionization: The process where an atom or molecule absorbs a photon and loses an electron.
Electron Impact Ionization: Ionization caused by collisions between high-energy electrons and neutral atoms or molecules.