Multiple Choice
Which of the following elements has the highest second ionization energy?
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
Periodic Trend: Successive Ionization Energies
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Which of the following elements has the lowest second ionization energy?
A
Al
B
Na
C
Mg
D
K
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand what second ionization energy means: it is the energy required to remove the second electron from a gaseous atom after the first electron has already been removed.
Recall the electron configurations of the elements after the first electron is removed, because the second ionization energy depends on the stability of the resulting ion.
For each element, write the electron configuration of the neutral atom and then the configuration after the first electron is removed:
Compare the stability of the resulting ions after the first electron is removed. The element whose ion has the least stable configuration will have the lowest second ionization energy because it is easier to remove the second electron.
Use this comparison to determine which element has the lowest second ionization energy without calculating exact values.
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