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106 WHAT IS LIFE 



and the negative electron, the differences depending 

 only upon number of constituents and manner of 

 combination. 



Much experimental work has been done on the 

 displacement of electrons in the ionization of gases 

 (nitrogen or oxygen, etc.) by means of X-rays, beta- 

 rays, and alpha particles. The experiments and the 

 attending phenomena vary with conditions, but, of 

 course, all ionization means that a unit electric 

 charge has been torn violently from an atom (or 

 molecule), or that two or more such unit charges 

 have been torn away. Ionization always implies 

 that there has been gain or loss of one or more 

 electrons. Interpreted in terms of the dynamic 

 planetary atom, it means the gain or loss of one 

 or more orbital electrons; and, since the radius of 

 the atom is determined by the orbit of its outermost 

 electron or electrons, it generally (though not 

 necessarily for all atoms) means alteration in the 

 radii of the atoms or ions that are concerned. 



Concerning ionization in liquids (in which mole- 

 cules are split up "spontaneously") it is known that 

 ionization takes place when a salt (or similar sub- 

 stance) is dissolved in water or certain other liquids. 

 And, Bloxam says, "the molecules in an electrolyte 

 must be regarded as being already ionized, nearly 

 completely in dilute solutions, and to a certain ex- 



