IBDP Chemistry
S1 Models of the particulate
nature of matter
S1.1.3 HL Electron configurations
Guiding Question:
1
How can we model the energy states of
electrons in atoms?
Ionization Energy
Learning Objectives (1.3.5 and 1.3.6)
After studying this topic, you should be able to:
Understand:
In a hydrogen emission spectrum, the limit of convergence at higher frequency
corresponds to ionization.
Successive ionization energy data for an element give information about its electron
configuration.
Discontinuities occur in the trend of increasing first ionization energy across a period.
Apply your knowledge to:
Explain the trends and discontinuities in first ionization energy across a period and down a
group.
Calculate the value of the first ionization energy from spectral data given the wavelength
or frequency of the convergence limit.
IONIZATION ENERGY
Ionization is a process that involves the removal of
electron present in an orbit outside the atom.
Ionization energy is the energy needed to remove one
mole of electrons from the ground state of one mole of
the gaseous atom.
Ionization energy is the minimum energy required to eject
an electron out of a neutral atom or molecule in its
ground state.
X(g) + energy → X+ (g) + e-
IONIZATION ENERGIES AND
ELECTRON CONFIGURATION
Generally, there is an increase in
ionization energies as one moves from
left to right on the periodic table.
As you move from left to right, the
nuclear charge increases therefore
making it more difficult to remove an
electron.
As you move down the periodic table,
there is a decrease in ionization energies
because the outermost electrons are
2S2
The graph shows evidence that each energy level
contains a certain number of electrons before it
Is1 in
hydrogen becomes full.
2S2
2S1
The limit of convergence at higher frequency
corresponds to ionization.
In a hydrogen emission spectrum, the emission
spectrum converge at the blue end (short
frequency) end.
Eventually, at the convergence limit, the lines
merge to form a continuum. Beyond this point the
electron can have any energy and so must be
free from the influence of the nucleus, i.e. the
electron is no longer in the atom.
Knowing the frequency of the light emitted at the
convergence limit enables us to work out the
ionisation energy of an atom.
In an emission spectrum, the limit of convergence
at higher frequency corresponds to the first
ionization energy, because the ionisation energy
is the minimum amount of energy required to
remove an electron from a gaseous atom.
Ionization Energy Can be 1st,
2nd , 3rd, etc
1st Ionization energy – energy needed to remove the 1st outermost
electron
X(g) + energy → X+ (g) + e-
2nd Ionization energy – energy needed to remove the 2nd
outermost electron
X+ (g) + energy → X+2 (g) + e-
3rd Ionization energy – energy needed to remove the 3rd
outermost electron.
X+2 (g) + energy → X+3 (g) + e-
Etc, etc…
Successive ionization energy data for an
element give information that shows relations to
electron configurations.
Key Points
There is an increase in successive ionization energies.
As you remove one electron, it takes more energy to remove the next
electron because the effective nuclear charge is stronger upon the
removal of each electron.
There are jumps in energies needed to remove electrons
depending upon how close you are to the nucleus.
The valence electrons are the easiest to remove.
You will have a significant jump in ionization energy as you move into
the core electrons or as you enter a new sublevel.
Deduce the group of an element
from its successive ionization
energy
• When the data.
ionization energy makes a
large jump, you can tell what group
the element is from.
• 200 to 8000 would mean one electron
was easily pulled off so you would be
in Group 1.
• 200,400,600, 10000 would mean
Group 3 because the large jump
occurred after the 3rd electron was
pulled off.
Successive ionization energy data for element potassium.
Ionization Energy Data of Aluminium –
Additional evidence about sub-level
Aluminum Is2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p1
If one looks at the 8 electrons
in the second energy level of
aluminum (the 1st three
valence electrons are already
pulled off), there is a jump in
energy between the 6
electrons in the p-sublevel and
the 2 in the s-sublevel. The 2
electrons in the s-sublevel are
closer to the nucleus and
harder to pull off.
Trends and discontinuities in first
ionization energy across a period.
Why did the energy drop
1st IONIZATION ENERGIES FOR THE FIRST 20 ELEMENTS
from Be to B if they are the
same row and why did the
energy drop from Mg to Al?
Decrease from Group 2 to Group 3
One would expect an increase from Be to B since
they are in the same energy level, however, there is
a decrease, and this is due to electron configuration.
The outer electrons being removed from Be and
Mg in Group 2 are in the “s” orbitals.
The outer electrons being removed from B and Al
in Group 3 are in the “p” orbitals.
The “p” orbital electrons take less energy to
remove than the “s” orbital electrons which are
closer to the nucleus.
Trends and discontinuities in first
ionization energy across a period.
1st IONIZATION ENERGIES FOR THE FIRST 20 ELEMENTS
There is another drop
from N to O and from P to
S, why did this occur?
Decrease from Group 5 to Group 6
One would expect an increase from Group 5 to
Group 6, but this is not so.
Look again at the e- configurations.
Group 5 elements have the basic configuration of ns2, npx1,
npy1, npz1
Group 6 elements have the basic configuration of ns2, npx2,
npy1, npz1
An electron is easier to remove from a doubly occupied
orbital because it is being repelled by its partner
electron and takes less energy to pull off than electrons
in singly occupied orbitals.
Calculating Ionization energy
Calculating
ionization energy
from spectral data
Example: Spectral lines
converge at 9.12×108m in
the emission spectrum of the
hydrogen atom. Calculate
the first ionization energy of
hydrogen in kJ mol-1
c=f×λ
E=h×
f
Practice
The first ionization energy of Na is 496 kJ mol-1 as given by the IB data
booklet. Calculate the wavelength of convergence for the sodium atom
spectrum in Å
In the emission spectrum of the helium atom, the spectral lines
converge at 5.05×10–8 m. Calculate the first ionization energy, in kJ mol –
1
, of helium
The first ionization energy of calcium is 590kJmol–1 . Calculate the
wavelength of convergence, in Å, for the calcium atomic spectrum.
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