Trying to Understand Ionization

[SSG-E]

TL;DR

Consider a situation in which an electron moving towards an atom. What are the ways for electron to enter the atom/orbital. Will it enter the atom forming an anion? or just collide with it and provide energy to a valance shell electron which then gets out of the atom forming a cation?

It will try to produce a neutral atom but it depends on the amount of energy that electron is shot at the atom, if it is great enough energy for ionization it will produce cation, If it is not enough for ionization it will make a neutral atom or anion, I think.

 

[Borek]

Depends on the atom and electron energy. You can get an anion, cation and more than one electron, or nothing may happen.