]> Ionization is the physical process of converting an atom or molecule into an ion by changing the difference between the number of protons and electrons. This process works slightly differently depending on whether an ion with a positive or a negative electric charge is being produced. A positive electric charge is produced when an electron bond to an atom or molecule absorbs enough energy from an external source to escape from the electric potential barrier that originally confined it, where the amount of energy required is called the Ionization potential. A negative electric charge is produced when a free electron collides with an atom and is subsequently caught inside the electric potential barrier, releasing any excess energy. An anion is an ion that has more electrons than protons such that the atom or molecule is negatively charged. [Wikipedia] An cation is an ion that has more protons than electrons such that the atom or molecule is positively charged. [Wikipedia] An ion is an atom or molecule where the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. [Wikipedia] 1 1 -1 -1 -1 1 -2 0