# What is ionization?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ionization/343378>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 7, 2006, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ionization/343378 "2006-02-07T13:30:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ionization/343378/21 "2006-02-07T16:32:32Z")

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> [@Mycroft Holmes](#):
>
> Well, if it’s deuterium, and we lose a proton, we still have hydrogen. 😃

Is that a joke??

If deuterium manages to ‘lose’ a proton, you’ve got a neutron and an electron left. Neither of which would have any reason to stay in the same neighborhood any more.

You definitely don’t still have hydrogen, because the definition of hydrogen is that it has one proton in its nucleus. Right??

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ionization/343378/22 "2006-02-07T19:04:06Z")

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> [@Amazon Floozy Goddess](#):
>
> 1st Atom: I think I’ve lost an electron.  
> 2nd Atom: Are you sure?  
> 1st Atom: I’m positive.

2nd Atom: Where do you think it went?  
1st Atom: I’m uncertain.

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**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ionization/343378/23 "2006-02-07T21:40:16Z")

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> [@Amazon Floozy Goddess](#):
>
> 1st Atom: I think I’ve lost an electron.  
> 2nd Atom: Are you sure?  
> 1st Atom: I’m positive.

Nice, I came in here specifically to make that joke. Curses, foiled again. How about this chemistry joke. “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate.”

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