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Chapter 3: Problem 76

A student says that it is possible for an atom's second ionization energy to be zero because all the work was done creating a cation with the first jonization energy. Is this student right or wrong? Explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The student's statement is incorrect, as the second ionization energy cannot be zero. Removing a second electron from a cation requires additional energy to overcome the increased electrostatic attraction between the positively charged nucleus and the remaining electrons.

Step by step solution

01

Define Ionization Energy

Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from a gaseous atom or ion. The first ionization energy refers to the energy needed to remove the first electron, while the second ionization energy refers to the energy needed to remove the next electron after the first one has been removed.
02

Understand Atomic Structure

An atom consists of a nucleus containing protons and neutrons, surrounded by electrons in specific energy levels or shells. When an electron is removed from an atom during ionization, the overall charge of the atom becomes positive and it turns into a cation. The electron removed typically comes from the outermost energy level (valence shell), as electrons in this shell are further from the nucleus and experience less electrostatic attraction to the protons in the nucleus.
03

Examine First Ionization Energy

The first ionization energy involves removing the first valence electron from the atom, leaving it with a positive charge (cation). In this process, energy is required to overcome the electrostatic attraction between the electron and the protons in the nucleus. The energy needed to remove this electron is the first ionization energy.
04

Analyze Second Ionization Energy

Now, let's consider the second ionization energy. This involves removing another electron from the cation created after the first electron has been removed. The cation has one fewer electron than the original neutral atom, so the remaining electrons will be more strongly attracted to the protons in the nucleus. As a result, the second ionization energy is generally higher than the first ionization energy because more energy is needed to overcome this higher electrostatic attraction between the remaining electrons and the positively charged nucleus.
05

Explain the Student's Statement

The student claims that all the work was done creating a cation with the first ionization energy, suggesting that the second ionization energy can be zero. However, as demonstrated earlier, removing a second electron from a cation requires even more energy due to the increased electrostatic attraction between the positively charged nucleus and the remaining electrons. Consequently, the second ionization energy can never be zero.
06

Conclusion

The student's statement is incorrect, as the second ionization energy cannot be zero. Removing a second electron from a cation requires additional energy to overcome the increased electrostatic attraction between the positively charged nucleus and the remaining electrons.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Suppose we wanted to use one of the more massive atoms, like \({ }_{92}^{235} \mathrm{U}\), as the standard reference for the atomic mass scale. (a) What would be the universally agreed-upon atomic mass of the \({ }^{235} \mathrm{U}\) isotope? (b) Why don't we use \({ }_{92}^{235} \mathrm{U}\) instead of \({ }_{6}^{12} \mathrm{C}\) ?

Write the name of each element: (a) \(\mathrm{Be}\) (b) \(\mathrm{Mg}\) (c) \(\mathrm{Fe}\) (d) \(S\) (e) \(\mathrm{Ar}\) (f) \(\mathrm{Cu}\)

What else besides an atom's mass number would you need to determine its elemental identity? Explain how you would use it along with the mass number.

The first ionization energy is the minimum energy required to remove an electron from a neutral atom. Upon escape from the atom, how would the now free electron differ if you had used more energy than the minimum first ionization energy as compared to using the exact first ionization energy?

What is the difference between an atom's atomic mass and its mass number?
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