AS Chemistry Unit: 1

Topic: i) Atomic orbitals and electronic configurations

IONISATION ENERGY
Ionisation energy is a measure of the energy required to completely remove an electron from an atom
of an element.
We can represent the first ionisation energy of an element, A, by the equation:
A(g) -t A +(g) + e-
We can represent the second ionisation energy of A by the equation:
N (g) -t A2+(g) + e-
We can represent the third ionisation energy of A by the equation:
A2+(g) -t A3+(g) + e-

SUCCESSIVE IONISATION ENERGIES

Ionization energy is endothermic

Ionization Energy has positive values because energy is always required to remove an electron, it is endothermic.
Electrons are attracted to the nucleus therefore energy is needed to remove them

The factors that affect the energy of an electron are:

• the orbital in which the electron exists
• the nuclear charge of the atom (i.e. the number of protons in the nucleus)
• the repulsion (shielding) experienced by the electron from all the other electrons present.

The three factors are: the energy of the electron (distance of electron from nucleus is often accepted, although this
is not always correct), nuclear charge and electron-electron repulsion (also known as shielding or screening).

Factors affecting the size of ionization energy

1. Size of the positive nuclear charge

As the nuclear charge increases, its attraction for the outermost electron increases and more energy is required to
remove an electron.

This means that the ionization energy increases.

2. Size of atom (distance of outermost electron from the nucleus)

As atomic size increases, the attraction of the positive nucleus for the negative electron decreases and less energy
is required to remove an electron.

This means that the ionization energy decreases.

3. Screening (shielding) effect of inner shell electrons

Md. Shoaib Ahmed, B.Sc. (Honors), M.Sc. (Chemistry), SUST and PGD in IT, IICT, SUST
Teacher Chemistry, The Sylhet Khajanchibari International School & College, Sylhet, Bangladesh
AS Chemistry Unit: 1
Topic: i) Atomic orbitals and electronic configurations

The outermost electron is screened (shielded) from the attraction of the nucleus by the repelling effect of the
inner electrons.

As shielding increases, the attraction of the positive nucleus for the negative electron decreases and less energy is
required to remove an electron.

This means that the ionization energy decreases.

Md. Shoaib Ahmed, B.Sc. (Honors), M.Sc. (Chemistry), SUST and PGD in IT, IICT, SUST
Teacher Chemistry, The Sylhet Khajanchibari International School & College, Sylhet, Bangladesh
AS Chemistry Unit: 1
Topic: i) Atomic orbitals and electronic configurations

SUCCESSIVE IONISATION ENERGIES

TRENDS IN IONISATION ENERGIES

The two major trends in ionisation energies in the Periodic Table are found:

• across a period
The increase in nuclear charge is more significant than the increase in electron-electron repulsion.
So there is a general increase in first ionisation energy across Period 2.
We can say the same of the Period 3 elements, sodium (Na) to argon (Ar), excluding the d-block
elements, scandium (Sc) to zinc (Zn).

Md. Shoaib Ahmed, B.Sc. (Honors), M.Sc. (Chemistry), SUST and PGD in IT, IICT, SUST
Teacher Chemistry, The Sylhet Khajanchibari International School & College, Sylhet, Bangladesh
AS Chemistry Unit: 1
Topic: i) Atomic orbitals and electronic configurations

• Down a group.

On this occasion, the combined effect of adding an extra shell and increasing the shielding is more
significant than the increase in nuclear charge. So the first ionisation energy decreases down Group 1
from Li to Cs.
This trend is repeated in:
• Group 2: beryllium to barium (Be to Ba)
• Group 5: nitrogen to bismuth (N to Bi)
• Group 6: oxygen to polonium (0 to Po)
• Group 7: fluorine to astatine (F to At)
• Group 8: neon to radon (Ne to Rn).
In Group 4, lead (Pb) is an anomaly (does not fit in with the others) because it has a first ionisation
energy that is higher than that of tin (Sn), the element immediately above it.
There is no general trend in first ionisation energy in Group 3 (boron (B) to thallium (Tl)).
The explanations for the anomalies in Groups 3 and 4 are not included in this book, but they illustrate
that, in chemistry, you can rarely apply a simple pattern or trend to all situations.

***Homework checkpoint page: 55

Md. Shoaib Ahmed, B.Sc. (Honors), M.Sc. (Chemistry), SUST and PGD in IT, IICT, SUST
Teacher Chemistry, The Sylhet Khajanchibari International School & College, Sylhet, Bangladesh