What process occurs when an electron is lost?

When an electron is lost, the process is referred to as oxidation. This is a fundamental concept in redox (reduction-oxidation) reactions, where oxidation involves the loss of electrons from an atom, ion, or molecule. When an atom loses an electron, it becomes positively charged, because it has fewer negatively charged electrons than positively charged protons.

Oxidation is often paired with reduction, which is the gain of electrons. This relationship between oxidation and reduction is critical in many chemical reactions, especially those occurring in biological systems and for processes like combustion and respiration. The other terms provided relate to different chemical processes: reduction specifically refers to gaining electrons, ionization involves the formation of ions from neutral atoms, and neutralization is a reaction between acids and bases.