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An oxygen atom can be ionized up to eight times while a hydrogen atom can be ionized only once. What sets that limit?
AThe number of electrons it has
BThe number of neutrons it has
CThe temperature of the gas
DThe density of the gas it is in
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. The number of electrons it has
1. Ionization means stripping an electron away from an atom.
2. Each stripping needs more energy than the one before it.
3. An atom can only be ionized as many times as it has electrons to lose.
4. Hydrogen carries a single electron, so it can be ionized only once.
5. Oxygen carries eight, so it can be ionized up to eight times.
6. Neutrons carry no charge and are not removed in ionization at all.
7. Temperature and density change how many atoms get ionized, not the ceiling for one atom.
_Source: OpenStax Astronomy (CC BY 4.0), Ch 4 "Earth, Moon, and Sky" and Ch 5 "Radiation and Spectra", section 5.5 Formation of Spectral Lines_
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