Can a negative charge ionize air? Adding to this question, I have studied that positive charge ionizes air but never studied that negative charge ionize air. If possible, please explain how does it ionize air?
Answer
Ionization of this sort is not caused by positive or negative charges per say, but by an electric field. We can view the ionization as the electric field trying to accelerate the electrons and nucleus of an atom in opposite directions and ripping them apart.
(In reality, this is a minor effect. Most ionization is caused by a chain reaction as free electrons are accelerated and collide with other molecules, ionizing them).
Therefore to get ionization we need to setup a large electric field. To achieve this generally a positive and negative charge are used. For example in a glow discharge.
I guess if you had a single positive or negative charge in space it could generate a big enough electric field near it to cause ionization. This would be somewhat similar to what happens in lightning.
You can also have ionization due to other sources such as thermal ionization in stars but I don't think that is what is asked about here.
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