Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 2: Problem 5

Which has the larger second ionization energy, lithium or beryllium? Why?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Lithium has a larger second ionization energy compared to beryllium, due to the more stable electron configuration of the Li\(^+\) ion and the combined effects of effective nuclear charge and electron shielding.

Step by step solution

01

Write the electron configuration for lithium and beryllium

The electron configuration for lithium (atomic number 3) is \(1s^2 2s^1\), and the electron configuration for beryllium (atomic number 4) is \(1s^2 2s^2\).
02

Determine the electron configurations after the first ionization

After the first ionization, one electron is removed from each atom. The electron configuration for lithium will be \(1s^2\) (now Li\(^+\)) and for beryllium, it will be \(1s^2 2s^1\) (now Be\(^+\)).
03

Compare the remaining electron configurations

The remaining electron configuration for Li\(^+\) is a completely filled 1s orbital, and the electron configuration for Be\(^+\) includes a half-filled 2s orbital, which is more stable.
04

Determine the larger second ionization energy

Since it requires more energy to remove an electron from Li\(^+\) (with a completely filled 1s orbital) than from Be\(^+\) (with a half-filled 2s orbital), lithium has a larger second ionization energy.
05

Discuss the reason behind the difference in ionization energy

This difference can be explained by effective nuclear charge and electron shielding. When an electron is removed from the 2s orbital in Be, the remaining electron experiences a stronger attraction to the nucleus due to the removed electron's shielding effect being diminished. In the case of Li, removing an electron from the completely filled 1s orbital requires more energy because it is closer to the nucleus, more tightly bound, and the shielding effect of the core electrons is less effective in reducing the effective nuclear charge experienced by the valence electron.
06

Conclusion

Lithium has a larger second ionization energy compared to beryllium, due to the more stable electron configuration of the Li\(^+\) ion and the combined effects of effective nuclear charge and electron shielding.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Which of the following sets of quantum numbers are not allowed in the hydrogen atom? For the sets of quantum numbers that are incorrect, state what is wrong in each set. a. \(n=3, \ell=2, m_{c}=2\) b. \(n=4, \ell=3, m_{\ell}=4\) c. \(n=0, \ell=0, m_{\ell}=0\) d. \(n=2, \ell=-1, m_{c}=1\)

Photosynthesis uses 660 -nm light to convert \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) and \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}\) into glucose and \(\mathrm{O}_{2}\). Calculate the frequency of this light.

The four most abundant elements by mass in the human body are oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. These four elements make up about \(96 \%\) of the human body. The next four most abundant elements are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. Write the expected ground-state electron configurations for these eight most abundant elements in the human body.

One type of electromagnetic radiation has a frequency of \(107.1 \mathrm{MHz},\) another type has a wavelength of \(2.12 \times 10^{-10} \mathrm{m}\) and another type of electromagnetic radiation has photons with energy equal to \(3.97 \times 10^{-19} \mathrm{J} /\) photon. Identify each type of electromagnetic radiation and place them in order of increasing photon energy and increasing frequency.

The elements \(\mathrm{Cu}, \mathrm{O}, \mathrm{La}, \mathrm{Y}, \mathrm{Ba}, \mathrm{Tl},\) and \(\mathrm{Bi}\) are all found in high-temperature ceramic superconductors. Write the expected electron configuration for these atoms.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Inorganic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Making Measurements

Read Explanation

Chemical Analysis

Read Explanation

Chemical Reactions

Read Explanation

Chemistry Branches

Read Explanation

Ionic and Molecular Compounds

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free