We clarify basic concepts concerning the response of silicon detectors to ionizing radiation, focusing on light ions with energies ranging from a few hundred keV to a few MeV. Through reanalysis of existing experimental data, we quantify the difference in the response of silicon detectors to α particles and 16O ions, and we determine the correction that must be made before an energy calibration obtained with α particles can be applied to the measurement of 16O ions. Finally, we show that an apparent disagreement among three recent measurements of the decay spectrum of 8B can be explained by a failure to correctly take into account the different response of silicon detectors to α particles and 16O ions.