Answer to Question #182672 in General Chemistry for Khushi

Question

a) Find the electronic configuration of Mo.

b) For transition elements, why does the ionization enthalpy tend to increase along the

series only slightly as compared to the main group elements?

Answer 1

a) electronic configuration of Mo

1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d⁵ 5s¹

b) The ionization energy increases due to the increase in the nuclear charge with an atomic number at the beginning of the series. Gradually, the shielding effect of the added electrons also increases. ... These two opposing factors lead to a rather gradual increase in the ionization energies in any transition series.