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Chapter 19: Problem 1

a) There is one valence electron in a \(\mathrm{H}\) atom. What is the average ionization energy of the one valence electron in \(\mathrm{H}\) ? (Note that this is a very easy question because there is only one valence electron!) b) There are two valence electrons in a He atom. What is the average ionization energy of the two valence electrons in He? (Again, an easy question because both valence electrons have the same IE!) c) Which atom, \(\mathrm{H}\) or He, holds its valence electron(s) "more tightly" on average? Explain your reasoning.

Short Answer

Expert verified
a) The average ionization energy of the one valence electron in Hydrogen is 13.6 eV. b) The average ionization energy of the two valence electrons in Helium is 39.5 eV. c) Helium holds its valence electrons more tightly than Hydrogen.

Step by step solution

01

Ionization Energy of Hydrogen

The ionization energy of hydrogen is 13.6 electron volts (eV). Since hydrogen has only one valence electron, the average ionization energy per valence electron in a Hydrogen atom is also 13.6 eV.
02

Ionization Energy of Helium

The first ionization energy of helium (removal of first electron) is 24.6 eV, and the second ionization energy (removal of the second electron) is considerably higher, about 54.4 eV. The average ionization energy is computed by taking the mean of the first and second ionization energies, which results in 39.5 eV.
03

Comparing Ionization Energies

Comparing the average ionization energies from steps 1 and 2 shows that the average ionization energy of a Helium atom is greater than that of a Hydrogen atom. Higher average ionization energy means the electrons are more tightly bound to the nucleus of the atom, hence Helium holds its electrons more tightly than Hydrogen.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Use the shell model of atoms and the concept of core charge to explain why the AVEE of atoms generally increases from left to right across a period.

Use the shell model of atoms and the concept of core charge to explain why the AVEE of atoms generally decreases from top to bottom down a group.

In terms of AVEE, explain why Na is more likely to form \(\mathrm{Na}^{+}\) than \(\mathrm{O}\) is to form \(\mathrm{O}^{+}\)

Describe the trend in EN moving down a group of the periodic table.

Describe the trend in EN moving left to right across a period of the periodic table.
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