Answer to Question #110773 in General Chemistry for Iiyambo Shipopyeni

Question

Which orbital has a higher ionization energy, one with n=3, n=2? Explain your answers.

Answer 1

Ionization energy is the energy needed to remove an electron from an atom or ion.

IE depends on orbital energy, which depends on the type of orbital. Thus, it follows predictable patterns in the periodic table. As you go down, n increases, and the energy of the orbital increases. That means the orbital is less stable, so it's easier to pull off the electron, so ionization energy decreases. You can predict any relative IE just by thinking about how big the Coulomb forces are. Bigger n, means bigger distance, weaker force. So orbital with n = 2 has a higher ionization energy then one with n = 3.