1What is ionization?
The removal of one or more electrons from an atom or molecule.
2What is the first ionization energy?
The energy required to remove 1 electron from each atom in 1 mole of gaseous atoms to form 1 mole of gaseous 1+ ions.
3Why is the gas state symbol, (g), used in ionization energy definitions?
Ionization energies are measured for gaseous atoms.
4Why do we refer to 1 mole of atoms in ionization energy definitions?
The definition specifies energy needed for 1 mole of atoms, not a single atom.
5What does a lower ionization energy indicate?
It is easier to form an ion.
6How does nuclear charge affect ionization energy?
More protons increase nuclear charge, strengthening attraction for electrons.
7How does distance from the nucleus affect ionization energy?
Electrons further from the nucleus experience weaker attraction.
8What is shielding in the context of ionization energy?
Inner electron shells reduce the nuclear attraction felt by outer electrons.
9What does a high ionization energy indicate?
There is a strong attraction between the electron and the nucleus, requiring more energy to remove the electron.
10What is successive ionization energy?
The energy required to remove additional electrons one by one from an atom.
11What is the definition of second ionization energy?
The energy needed to remove 1 electron from each ion in 1 mole of gaseous 1+ ions to form 1 mole of gaseous 2+ ions.
12Write the equation for the nth ionization energy.
X⁽ⁿ⁻¹⁾(g) → Xⁿ⁺(g) + e⁻
13What information does a graph of successive ionization energies show?
It provides evidence for the shell structure of atoms.
14Why do successive ionization energies increase within each shell?
Removing electrons creates an increasingly positive ion, reducing electron repulsion and strengthening nuclear attraction.
15What does a large jump in ionization energy indicate on a graph?
An electron is being removed from a shell closer to the nucleus.
16How can a graph of ionization energies indicate an element’s group in the periodic table?
Count the number of electrons removed before the first big jump to find the group number.
17How can you predict an element's electronic structure from an ionization energy graph?
Count the points before each big jump from right to left to find the number of electrons in each shell, starting with the first.