Interpreting Successive Ionisation Energies

Interpreting successive
ionisation energies
• The graph below shows the successive
ionisation energies of sodium. (Z = 11)
• We can deduce the following about sodium;
1.The first electron removed has low 1st
ionisation energy, when compared with the
rest of the data. It is very easily removed from
the atom. It is therefore likely to be a long way
from the nucleus and well shielded by inner
electron shells.
2. The second electron is much more difficult to
remove than the first electron. There is a big
jump in the value of the ionisation energy.
This suggests that the second electron is in a
shell closer to the nucleus than the first
electron. Taken together, the 1st and 2nd
ionisation energies suggest that sodium has
one electron in its outer shell.
3. From the second to the ninth electrons
removed there is only a gradual change in
successive ionisation energies. This suggests
that all these eight electrons are in the same
shell.
4.The 10th and 11th electrons have extremely high
ionisation energies, when compared with the rest
of the data. This suggests that they are very close
to the nucleus. There must be a very great force
of attraction between the nucleus and these
electrons and there are no inner electrons to
shield them. The large increase in ionisation
energy between the 9th and 10th electrons
confirms that the 10th electron is in a shell closer
to the nucleus than the 9th electron.
SUMMARY
Na= 1s2 2s2 2p63s1

• We can use successive ionisation energies in
this way to:
1.Predict or confirm the simple electronic
configuration of elements.
2.Confirm the number of electrons in the outer
shell of an element and hence the group to
which the element belongs.
EXAMPLE
• The successive ionisation energies, ΔHi, of an

element X are shown in Table below. Which
group in the Periodic Table does X belong to?
SOLUTION
• We look for a large jump in the value of the
ionisation energy. This occurs between the
removal of the 6th and 7th electrons. So, six
electrons have been removed comparatively
easily. The removal of the 7th electron
requires about three times the energy
required to remove the 6th electron. So, there
must be six electrons in the outer shell of X.
So, element X must be in Group 16 of the
Periodic Table.
Shapes of the orbitals
• Each orbital has a three-dimensional shape.
Within this shape there is a high probability of
finding the electron or electrons in the orbital.
• An s orbital has a spherical shape. The 2s orbital
in the second principal quantum shell has the
same shape as the 1s orbital in the first quantum
shell. They are both spherical, but electrons in
the 2s orbital have more energy than electrons in
the 1s orbital. This is as shown below.
• There are three 2p orbitals in the second
quantum shell. Each of these has the same shape.
The shape is like an hourglass with two ‘lobes’
(lobed shape) The three sets of ‘lobes’ are
arranged at right angles to each other along the
x, y and z axes. Hence the three 2p orbitals are
named 2px, 2py and 2pz. The three 2p orbitals
have the same energy as each other. There are
also three 3p orbitals in the third quantum shell.
Their shapes are similar to the shapes of the 2p
orbitals.
• The d orbitals are more complex in shape and
arrangement in space. In 1925 Louis de Broglie
• suggested that electrons behaved like waves. This
led to the idea of electron probability clouds. The
electron probability cloud for one type of d
orbital is very strange. It is like a modified p
orbital with a ring around the middle. You will
not need to know the d-orbital shapes at AS level,
but you will for A level when studying the
transition elements.
Electronic configuration of ions
• Positive ions are formed when electrons are removed
from atoms. The sodium ion, Na+ (proton number =
11), has 10 electrons. So, its electronic configuration is
1s22s22p6. Note that this is the same as the electronic
configuration of neon, the element with 10 electrons in
each atom.
• Negative ions are formed when atoms gain electrons.
The sulfide ion, S2- (proton number = 16), has 18
electrons. Its electronic configuration is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2
3p6, which is the same as argon, the element with 18
electrons in each atom.
END OF LESSON!!

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Interpreting successive

Na= 1s2 2s2 2p63s1

• The successive ionisation energies, ΔHi, of an

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