The fraction of a specified population of chemical atoms that has become ionized. For singly ionized atoms with no external charge source, charge neutrality gives equal free-electron and ion number densities. Its equilibrium value depends on both temperature and total number density through the Saha ionization equation.
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The degree of ionization, often represented by the symbol \(\alpha\), is a measure of the extent to which a substance (typically an electrolyte) dissociates into ions when dissolved in a solvent, usually water. It is expressed as the fraction or percentage of the total number of molecules of the substance that have ionized.