The energy required to pull the most loosely bound electron form an atom is known as ionization pote — Periodic Table and Periodicity Chemistry Question
Question
The energy required to pull the most loosely bound electron form an atom is known as ionization potential. It is expressed in electron volts. The value of ionization potential depends on three factors: (i) the charge on the nucleus (ii) the atomic radius and (iii) the screening effect of inner electron shells.
💡 Solution & Explanation
Step 1: Determine the electronic configurations of beryllium (Be: 1s2 2s2), magnesium (Mg: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2), and calcium (Ca: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2). Step 2: Compare their outermost energy levels. All three elements have two s-electrons in their outermost shells, are classified as alkaline earth metals, and belong to group 2 of the periodic table. Step 3: Beryllium has only 4 electrons total, and its outer energy level (n=2) contains no p-orbitals or p-electrons. Therefore, containing a pair of p-electrons in the outermost energy level is not a shared characteristic.