It is possible to define metallic character as we do in this book and base it on the reactivity of the element and the ease with which it loses electrons. Alternatively, one could measure how well electricity is conducted by each of the elements to determine how "metallic" the elements are. On the basis of conductivity, there is not much of a trend in the periodic table: Silver is the most conductive metal, and manganese the least. Look up the first ionization energies of silver and manganese; which of these two elements would you call more metallic based on the way we define it in this book?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Based on the first ionization energies, silver (Ag) has an ionization energy of 7.576 eV (or 731.0 kJ/mol), while manganese (Mn) has an ionization energy of 7.434 eV (or 717.4 kJ/mol). The lower the ionization energy, the more metallic the element is since it loses electrons more easily. Since manganese's ionization energy is lower than that of silver, manganese is deemed to be more metallic.

Step by step solution

01

Look up the first ionization energies of silver and manganese

Use a periodic table or other reference source to find the first ionization energies of silver and manganese. Ionization energy is usually expressed in electron volts (eV) or kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).
02

Write down the ionization energies of silver and manganese

The first ionization energies for silver (Ag) and manganese (Mn) are as follows: Ag: 7.576 eV (or 731.0 kJ/mol) Mn: 7.434 eV (or 717.4 kJ/mol)
03

Compare the ionization energies

Compare the ionization energies of silver and manganese. Remember that the element with the lower ionization energy is considered more metallic, as it loses electrons more easily. Ag: 7.576 eV (or 731.0 kJ/mol) Mn: 7.434 eV (or 717.4 kJ/mol) Since 7.434 eV (Mn) is less than 7.576 eV (Ag), manganese has a lower ionization energy than silver.
04

Determine which element is more metallic

Based on the comparison of the ionization energies, manganese has a lower ionization energy than silver, which means manganese is more likely to lose electrons more easily. Thus, based on the metallic character definition given in the problem, we can conclude that manganese is more metallic than silver.

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