From left to right across a period, ionization energy generally

General
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from left to right across a period, ionization energy generally

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From left to right across a period, ionization energy generally increases.

Answer: As you move from left to right across a period in the periodic table, the ionization energy tends to increase. This trend is due to a few key factors:

  1. Increasing Nuclear Charge: As you move across a period, the number of protons in the nucleus increases. This higher positive charge more strongly attracts the electrons in the outer shell, making it harder to remove an electron.

  2. Constant Shielding Effect: The additional electrons added across a period go into the same valence shell. The inner electron shells are not increasing, so the shielding effect remains relatively constant. This means the outer electrons are drawn closer to the nucleus.

  3. Smaller Atomic Radius: With the electrons more strongly attracted to the nucleus due to the increased nuclear charge, the atomic radius decreases. This closer proximity to the nucleus further increases the ionization energy.

Let’s look at an example:

  • In the second period, as we move from lithium (Li) to neon (Ne), the ionization energy increases because of the reasons mentioned above. Neon has a much higher ionization energy compared to lithium since its electrons are more tightly held by the nucleus.

Summary: Ionization energy generally increases from left to right across a period due to increased nuclear charge, constant shielding effect, and decreasing atomic radius. This makes it harder to remove an electron from the atom.