Why is there such a large jump in ionization energy between the second and third for magnesium

In order to form an Al3+(g) ion from Al(g) you would have to supply:

Why is there such a large jump in ionization energy between the second and third for magnesium
577 + 1820 + 2740 = 5137 kJ mol-1

That's a lot of energy. Why, then, does aluminium form Al3+ ions?

It can only form them if it can get that energy back from somewhere, and whether that's feasible depends on what it is reacting with.

For example, if aluminium reacts with fluorine or oxygen, it can recover that energy in various changes involving the fluorine or oxygen - and so aluminium fluoride or aluminium oxide contain Al3+ ions.

If it reacts with chlorine, it can't recover sufficient energy, and so solid anhydrous aluminium chloride isn't actually ionic - instead, it forms covalent bonds.

Why doesn't aluminium form an Al4+ ion? The fourth ionisation energy is huge compared with the first three, and there is nothing that aluminium can react with which would enable it to recover that amount of extra energy.

Why do successive ionisation energies get larger?

Once you have removed the first electron you are left with a positive ion. Trying to remove a negative electron from a positive ion is going to be more difficult than removing it from an atom. Removing an electron from a 2+ or 3+ (etc) ion is going to be progressively more difficult.

Why is the fourth ionisation energy of aluminium so large?

The electronic structure of aluminium is 1s22s22p63s23px1. The first three electrons to be removed are the three electrons in the 3p and 3s orbitals. Once they've gone, the fourth electron is removed from the 2p level - much closer to the nucleus, and only screened by the 1s2 (and to some extent the 2s2) electrons.

Using ionisation energies to work out which group an element is in

This big jump between two successive ionisation energies is typical of suddenly breaking in to an inner level. You can use this to work out which group of the Periodic Table an element is in from its successive ionisation energies.

Magnesium (1s22s22p63s2) is in group 2 of the Periodic Table and has successive ionisation energies:

Why is there such a large jump in ionization energy between the second and third for magnesium

Here the big jump occurs after the second ionisation energy. It means that there are 2 electrons which are relatively easy to remove (the 3s2 electrons), while the third one is much more difficult (because it comes from an inner level - closer to the nucleus and with less screening).

Silicon (1s22s22p63s23px13py1) is in group 4 of the Periodic Table and has successive ionisation energies:

Why is there such a large jump in ionization energy between the second and third for magnesium

Here the big jump comes after the fourth electron has been removed. The first 4 electrons are coming from the 3-level orbitals; the fifth from the 2-level.

The lesson from all this:

Count the easy electrons - those up to (but not including) the big jump. That is the same as the group number.

Another example:

Decide which group an atom is in if it has successive ionisation energies:

Why is there such a large jump in ionization energy between the second and third for magnesium

The ionisation energies are going up one or two thousand at a time for the first five. Then there is a huge jump of about 15000. There are 5 relatively easy electrons - so the element is in group 5.

Exploring the patterns in more detail

If you plot graphs of successive ionisation energies for a particular element, you can see the fluctuations in it caused by the different electrons being removed.

Not only can you see the big jumps in ionisation energy when an electron comes from an inner level, but you can also see the minor fluctuations within a level depending on whether the electron is coming from an s or a p orbital, and even whether it is paired or unpaired in that orbital.

Chlorine has the electronic structure 1s22s22p63s23px23py23pz1.

This graph plots the first eight ionisation energies of chlorine. The green labels show which electron is being removed for each of the ionisation energies.

Why is there such a large jump in ionization energy between the second and third for magnesium

If you put a ruler on the first and second points to establish the trend, you'll find that the third, fourth and fifth points lie above the value you would expect. That is because the first two electrons are coming from pairs in the 3p levels and are therefore rather easier to remove than if they were unpaired.

Again, if you put a ruler on the 3rd, 4th and 5th points to establish their trend, you'll find that the 6th and 7th points lie well above the values you would expect from a continuation of the trend. That is because the 6th and 7th electrons are coming from the 3s level - slightly closer to the nucleus and slightly less well screened.

The massive jump as you break into the inner level at the 8th electron is fairly obvious!

Warning!  People sometimes get confused with these graphs because they forget that they are removing electrons from the atom. For example, the first point refers to the first electron being lost - from a 3p orbital. Basically, you start from the outside of the atom and work in towards the middle. If you start from the 1s orbital and work outwards, you are doomed to failure!


The second ionization energy of Mg is larger than the first because it always takes more energy to remove an electron from a positively charged ion than from a neutral atom. The third ionization energy of magnesium is enormous, however, because the Mg2+ ion has a filled-shell electron configuration.

What second row element has a large jump between its third and fourth ionization energies?

there is a large jump between the second and third ionization energies of magnesium. there is a large jump between the third and the fourth ionization energies of aluminum.

Why is it harder to remove an inner shell electron than a valence electron from an atom?

Explain why it is harder to remove an inner shell electron than a valence electron from an atom. Inner shell electrons are closer to the nucleus and closer to the protons, which pull the shell towards it. They try to completely fill their valence shell, so they lose the appropriate amount of electrons.

Which ion is bigger Na+ or mg2+?

Explain your answer. mg2+ would be the smaller ion this is because each ion has the same number of electrons however mg2+ has a greater number of protons and therefore is more charge dense and the outer electrons feel a greater pull from the nucleus.

Why does lithium have a drop in ionization energy?

Lithium have only 3 electrons and electrons are strongly held by nuclear charge and energy required to remove outer electron from shell of lithium. Ionization energy drops for a gvien electron as you go down and or right on the periodic table.

Why IE of Na+ is more than ne?

Na+ has higher value of ionization enthalpy than Ne, though both have same electronic configuration. The number of protons and thus nuclear charge in Na+ is more than Ne. So, the nuclear attraction on the valence electrons is more in Na+ than Ne. Thus, Na+ has higher value of ionization enthalpy than Ne.

Why is the ionization energy of Mg higher than Al?

So the extra amount of protons means the nucleus holds the outer electrons more strongly so it requires more energy to remove an electron. Aluminium has a lower ionisation energy than Magnesium. This is unexpected as Al has more protons. This can be explained by electron configurations.

Why is there a decrease in ionization energy from P to S?

In sulfur, the 4 electrons in the 3p level, are all paired. While in phosphorus there are 2 paired electrons and 1 lone electron in the 3p level. Therefore, the first ionisation energy for sulfur will be slightly lower than that of phosphorus, due to the paired electrons in its 3p sub-level.

Why does first ionisation energy decrease from P to S?

The 3p electrons in phosphorus are all unpaired. In sulfur, two of the 3p electrons are paired. There is some repulsion between paired electrons in the same sub-shell, so the force of their attraction to the nucleus is reduced.

Why is there a dip in ionization energy in Period 6?

The dip between Group V and VI This is because the two electrons are occupying the same region of space. The extra repulsion makes the first ionisation energy a little less.

Which element in Period 4 has the smallest atomic radius?

Helium

The second ionization energy of Mg is larger than the first because it always takes more energy to remove an electron from a positively charged ion than from a neutral atom. The third ionization energy of magnesium is enormous, however, because the Mg2+ ion has a filled-shell electron configuration.

Why is there a large jump in ionization energy from the 2nd to the 3rd ionization energy?

When electrons are removed in succession from an element, the transition from removing valence electrons to removing core electrons results in a large jump in ionization energy.

Why is the second ionization energy of sodium larger than the second ionization energy of magnesium?

Sodium after losing one electron acquires the stable noble gas configuration of neon i.e., 1s22s22p6. Consequently, removal of a second electron from sodium requires more energy in comparison to that required in magnesium. Therefore, the second ionization enthalpy of sodium is higher than that of magnesium.

Why is there a large increase between the third and fourth ionization energies?

Figure 3.5 shows this arrangement of electrons. Why is there a large increase between the third and fourth ionisation energies? 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.

Why is there such a large jump in ionization energy between the second and third for calcium?

The third ionization energy is even higher than the second. Successive ionization energies increase in magnitude because the number of electrons, which cause repulsion, steadily decrease. This is not a smooth curve There is a big jump in ionization energy after the atom has lost its valence electrons.

What second row element has a large jump between its third and fourth ionization energies?

there is a large jump between the second and third ionization energies of magnesium. there is a large jump between the third and the fourth ionization energies of aluminum. explain these observations. the mg2+ and na+ ions each have ten electrons.

What does the second ionization energy refer to?

An element’s second ionization energy is the energy required to remove the outermost, or least bound, electron from a 1+ ion of the element. Because positive charge binds electrons more strongly, the second ionization energy of an element is always higher than the first.

Why is the second ionization energy of sodium higher than the first?

The reason the second ionization energy is higher than the first relates to the attraction between the electrons and the nucleus. When one attempts to remove a second electron from a positive ion, there is more attraction between the electrons and the nucleus due to the extra proton.

What is 2nd ionization energy?

Why is the second ionization energy of magnesium higher than the first?

The second ionization energy of Mg is larger than the first because it always takes more energy to remove an electron from a positively charged ion than from a neutral atom. The third ionization energy of magnesium is enormous, however, because the Mg2+ ion has a filled-shell electron configuration.

When does the jump occur after the second ionisation energy?

Here the big jump occurs after the second ionisation energy. It means that there are 2 electrons which are relatively easy to remove (the 3s2electrons), while the third one is much more difficult (because it comes from an inner level – closer to the nucleus and with less screening).

What is the relationship between the second and third ionization?

The second ionization involves the removal of an electron from the outer S orbital to give a stable noble gas-like electron configuration. However, the third ionization removes an electron from the inner shell, which is much less energetically favorable. What is the relationship between ionization energy and the alkali metals?

Why does 1st ionization energy decrease down a group?

1st ionization energy decreases down a group. This is because the highest energy electrons are, on average, farther from the nucleus. As the principal quantum number increases, the size of the orbital increases and the electron is easier to remove.