Which of the following elements with a given electronic configuration has the highest ionization potential value?
Correct answer: A. 1s2 2s2 2p3
- A. 1s2 2s2 2p3
- B. 1s2 2s2 2p4
- C. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s1
- D. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3
Explanation
Ionization energy is the energy required to remove an electron from an isolated gaseous atom. The stability of the electron configuration plays a significant role in determining this energy. Nitrogen, with the configuration 1s2 2s2 2p3, has a half-filled p orbital, which is particularly stable, thus requiring a higher ionization energy. Oxygen (1s2 2s2 2p4) has a partially filled p orbital, making it easier to remove an electron, while sodium (1s2 2s2 2p6 3s1) is highly electropositive with its outermost electron easily removable. Phosphorus (1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3) also has a half-filled p orbital but is larger in size than nitrogen, resulting in a lower ionization potential. Therefore, nitrogen has the highest ionization potential among the given options.
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Periodic properties arise from electron configuration and effective nuclear charge, producing trends in atomic and ionic radius, ionization energy, electron affinity, electronegativity, metallic character and reactivity. Comparisons run across periods and down groups, with attention to common exceptions. The topic also relates these trends to the behavior of s-block and p-block elements.
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