Polarizability

[basketballakev]

Could someone please explain to me the concept of why an atom's polarizability decreases when it is ionized? Thanks a lot!

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[aquariuscharm]

I'm not 100% positive because I haven't looked up any references, but I suspect it is related to the fact that ions lose/gain valence electrons in order to have full atomic orbitals, which are stable and less prone to charge distortion.