[Corvettaholic]

We all know that the charge of an electron is negative. A simple little negative sign. Lets say I energize the crap out of a gas with 10,000 volts or so, those little electrons are going to jump to a higher energy state. Does the charge stay the same regardless of the energy level of the electron? Just that just mean the electron is whizzing faster and higher above the nucleus?

[Mitch]

The charge will remain the same. You can give an electron so much energy that it flies off.

[Corvettaholic]

Then it becomes a plasma, right? So at that point, the atom is just chilling there, and cooling off. Once the energy level drops, the stray electron should find its way home?