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Atomic Structure

Ionisation Energies and Periodic Trends

  • 3 things to know
  • Papers 1 and 3

Overview

Defining first and successive ionisation energies, and reading trends across periods and down groups.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What are the standard conditions under which ionisation energy is measured?

Key term

Why does the second ionisation energy of an element have a larger value than its first ionisation energy?

Key term

What is the general trend in first ionisation energy across a period?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is the definition of first ionisation energy?

    Model answer

    The energy required to remove one electron from each atom in one mole of gaseous atoms to form one mole of gaseous 1+ ions.

  2. 2

    What are the standard conditions under which ionisation energy is measured?

    Model answer

    Gaseous state, one mole of atoms, forming one mole of gaseous 1+ ions.

  3. 3

    What is the definition of second ionisation energy?

    Model answer

    The energy required to remove one electron from each ion in one mole of gaseous 1+ ions to form one mole of gaseous 2+ ions.

  4. 4

    Why does the second ionisation energy of an element have a larger value than its first ionisation energy?

    Model answer

    The electron is being removed from a more positive ion, so there is greater electrostatic attraction between the electron and the nucleus.

  5. 5

    What is the general trend in first ionisation energy across a period?

    Model answer

    First ionisation energy generally increases across a period.

  6. 6

    Why does first ionisation energy generally increase across a period?

    Model answer

    Nuclear charge increases across a period while shielding remains relatively constant, so the outer electrons experience a greater effective nuclear charge and are more strongly attracted to the nucleus.

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