Ionization Energy as Evidence

Part of the Atomic Structure section of Coddy's Chemistry journey. Lesson 22 of 45.

The ionization energy is the energy to pull an electron off an atom, in kJ/mol. Pull them off one at a time and each one is harder than the last.

A jump means the next electron comes from a shell closer to the nucleus. Sodium: $496\ \mathrm{kJ/mol}$ , then $4562\ \mathrm{kJ/mol}$ .

Sodium's 11 successive ionization energies: jumps after the 1st and the 9th

Sodium: 1, then 8, then 2

The bars between the jumps count the electrons in each shell, outer shell first: 1, 8, 2 is sodium's 2, 8, 1.

Challenge

The picture shows all 14 ionization energies of silicon, the element in computer chips. Read the jumps and fill silicon's shells.

Silicon's 14 successive ionization energies: jumps after the 4th and the 12th

Silicon: 14 ionization energies

Try it yourself

Electron shellsFill the electrons of Si (silicon)

Test yourself

This lesson includes a short quiz. Start the lesson to answer it and track your progress.

All lessons in Atomic Structure

1Matter and Atoms

4Electron Arrangement

7Practice Problems

2Models of the Atom

5The Periodic Table

3Inside the Atom

6Periodic Trends