What Happens to Water When It Ionizes?

Ions produced from water can dissolve or be captured and put to work.

When water, or H2O, ionizes, it is split into its component parts. H2O, which has no net electrical charge, becomes positive and negative ions.

Self-Ionization

Water molecules sometimes spontaneously ionize. When water self-ionizes, two H2O molecules dissociate and form H3O+ and OH- ions. This phenomenon happens rarely, however, and H3O+ and OH- ions make up only an extremely low percentage of water and remain in solution.

Dissipation

The process of electrolysis is the application of electricity to water in order to ionize it. This process is often done in order to collect hydrogen gas as an energy source. Small amounts of hydrogen and oxygen ions will remain in solution, dissolved in water. Larger quantities will become a gas that, being less dense than water, will float to the surface and dissipate unless captured.

Bonding

During the process of photosynthesis, sunlight powers the ionization of water. The H+ ions and O-2 ions are then used as raw materials during the synthesis of glucose.

References

• Online Biology Book: "What Is Photosynthesis?"
• U.S. Department of Energy: Hydrogen Production
• "Chemistry Principles and Practice"; Reger, Goode and Mercer; 1997