Questions: Electronic Structure and Chemical Bonding
Deducing valence electron configuration from trends in successive...
The first five ionization energies ( IE1 through IE5 ) of a Period 3 element have the following pattern:
Make a reasonable guess about which element this is. Enter its chemical symbol below.
Transcript text: Electronic Structure and Chemical Bonding
Deducing valence electron configuration from trends in successive...
The first five ionization energies ( $\mathrm{IE}_{1}$ through $\mathrm{IE}_{5}$ ) of a Period 3 element have the following pattern:
Make a reasonable guess about which element this is. Enter its chemical symbol below.
Solution
Solution Steps
Step 1: Identify the Ionization Energy Pattern
The given graph shows the first five ionization energies (IE₁ through IE₅) for a Period 3 element. The pattern indicates a significant jump between IE₃ and IE₄.
Step 2: Determine the Element's Group
A large increase in ionization energy typically occurs after the removal of the valence electrons. For Period 3 elements, this jump suggests that the element has three valence electrons, as the fourth ionization energy is significantly higher.
Step 3: Identify the Element
An element in Period 3 with three valence electrons is Aluminum (Al), which is in Group 13 of the periodic table.