Multiple Choice
Rank the following elements in order of increasing ionization energy:Br, F, Ga, K and Se.
10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
Periodic Trend: Ionization Energy
Struggling with General Chemistry?
Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
Which of the following has the largest second ionization energy?
A
P
B
Si
C
Al
D
Mg
E
Na
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the concept of second ionization energy: It is the energy required to remove the second electron from an atom after the first has already been removed.
Recall that ionization energy generally increases across a period from left to right and decreases down a group in the periodic table.
Consider the electron configuration of each element after the first electron is removed. For example, Na becomes Na⁺ with a noble gas configuration, making the second ionization energy very high.
Compare the electron configurations: Na⁺ has a stable noble gas configuration (Ne), while the others do not achieve such stability after the first ionization.
Conclude that Na has the largest second ionization energy because removing a second electron from a stable noble gas configuration requires significantly more energy.
Related Videos
Related Practice
Periodic Trend: Ionization Energy practice set
Problem sets built by lead tutorsExpert video explanations