Chemistry: The Molecular Science (5th Edition)

Published by Cengage Learning
ISBN 10: 1285199049
ISBN 13: 978-1-28519-904-7

Chapter 5 - Electron Configurations and the Periodic Table - Questions for Review and Thought - Topical Questions - Page 240d: 89

Answer

Na

Work Step by Step

The first ionization energy of Na is low, for it is one lost electron away from having a noble gas configuration. However, once it has a noble gas configuration, it is hard to rip an electron off, making its second ionization energy very large. Thus, the gap is the largest for Na.
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