Answer :
To determine which electron configuration is associated with the biggest jump between the first and second ionization energy, we need to understand what ionization energy is and why certain jumps are larger.
Ionization energy is the energy required to remove an electron from a gaseous atom or ion. The first ionization energy is the energy needed to remove the first electron, and the second ionization energy is the energy needed to remove the second electron after the first one has been removed.
The biggest jump in ionization energy typically occurs when the removal of an electron results in a very stable electron configuration, commonly resembling that of a noble gas. Noble gas configurations are extremely stable due to having filled electron shells.
Let’s analyze each of the given configurations:
1. Configuration (1): [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^5\)[/tex]
- Removing the first electron results in [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^4\)[/tex].
- Removing the second electron results in [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^3\)[/tex].
- The configuration [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^5\)[/tex] is one electron short of the noble gas configuration of Neon ([tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6\)[/tex]). The first ionization removes one electron to reach a half-filled stable state ([tex]\(2p^4\)[/tex]), so the jump may not be significantly large.
2. Configuration (2): [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^1\)[/tex]
- Removing the first electron results in [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6\)[/tex] which is the noble gas configuration of Neon, a very stable state.
- Removing the second electron results in [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^5\)[/tex].
- The first ionization energy will be relatively low because it just removes a single [tex]\(3s\)[/tex] electron, leading to the stable noble gas configuration. The second ionization energy will be significantly higher because it disrupts this stable noble gas configuration.
3. Configuration (3): [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^4\)[/tex]
- Removing the first electron results in [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^3\)[/tex].
- Removing the second electron results in [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^2\)[/tex].
- This configuration is not one electron away from a noble gas configuration. Both the first and second ionization energies will result in less stable states compared to those starting or ending near a noble gas configuration.
4. Configuration (4): [tex]\(1s^2 2s^1\)[/tex]
- Removing the first electron results in [tex]\(1s^2\)[/tex], which is the noble gas configuration of Helium.
- Removing the second electron after reaching Helium’s configuration results in [tex]\(1s^1\)[/tex].
- Here, the first ionization energy will be relatively low as it removes the [tex]\(2s\)[/tex] electron to reach the very stable noble gas configuration of Helium. The second ionization energy will be significantly higher because it requires breaking this stable noble gas configuration.
Given this detailed analysis, configuration (4), [tex]\(1s^2 2s^1\)[/tex], will have the biggest jump between the first and second ionization energy due to the resulting stable noble gas configuration after the first electron is removed.
Ionization energy is the energy required to remove an electron from a gaseous atom or ion. The first ionization energy is the energy needed to remove the first electron, and the second ionization energy is the energy needed to remove the second electron after the first one has been removed.
The biggest jump in ionization energy typically occurs when the removal of an electron results in a very stable electron configuration, commonly resembling that of a noble gas. Noble gas configurations are extremely stable due to having filled electron shells.
Let’s analyze each of the given configurations:
1. Configuration (1): [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^5\)[/tex]
- Removing the first electron results in [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^4\)[/tex].
- Removing the second electron results in [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^3\)[/tex].
- The configuration [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^5\)[/tex] is one electron short of the noble gas configuration of Neon ([tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6\)[/tex]). The first ionization removes one electron to reach a half-filled stable state ([tex]\(2p^4\)[/tex]), so the jump may not be significantly large.
2. Configuration (2): [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^1\)[/tex]
- Removing the first electron results in [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6\)[/tex] which is the noble gas configuration of Neon, a very stable state.
- Removing the second electron results in [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^5\)[/tex].
- The first ionization energy will be relatively low because it just removes a single [tex]\(3s\)[/tex] electron, leading to the stable noble gas configuration. The second ionization energy will be significantly higher because it disrupts this stable noble gas configuration.
3. Configuration (3): [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^4\)[/tex]
- Removing the first electron results in [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^3\)[/tex].
- Removing the second electron results in [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^2\)[/tex].
- This configuration is not one electron away from a noble gas configuration. Both the first and second ionization energies will result in less stable states compared to those starting or ending near a noble gas configuration.
4. Configuration (4): [tex]\(1s^2 2s^1\)[/tex]
- Removing the first electron results in [tex]\(1s^2\)[/tex], which is the noble gas configuration of Helium.
- Removing the second electron after reaching Helium’s configuration results in [tex]\(1s^1\)[/tex].
- Here, the first ionization energy will be relatively low as it removes the [tex]\(2s\)[/tex] electron to reach the very stable noble gas configuration of Helium. The second ionization energy will be significantly higher because it requires breaking this stable noble gas configuration.
Given this detailed analysis, configuration (4), [tex]\(1s^2 2s^1\)[/tex], will have the biggest jump between the first and second ionization energy due to the resulting stable noble gas configuration after the first electron is removed.
