Question detail
What is the first ionisation energy of an element, and how does it provide evidence for the existence of electron shells?
Try the question, check the answer, then read the explanation to understand the curriculum point.
At a glance
Question
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Topic
Atomic structure
Question
What is the first ionisation energy of an element, and how does it provide evidence for the existence of electron shells?
Answer
The first ionisation energy is the energy required to remove one mole of electrons from one mole of gaseous atoms. This energy increases with increasing atomic number due to the greater nuclear charge, which indicates that electrons are arranged in shells around the nucleus, as higher energy is needed to remove electrons that are further from the nucleus.
Explanation
This answer is strong because it defines first ionisation energy and connects it to the concept of electron shells. It tests the understanding of how ionisation energy trends reflect the arrangement of electrons in shells, demonstrating the relationship between atomic structure and energy requirements.
Common mistake
Misunderstanding Ionisation Energy Trends
Students often confuse the trends in first and successive ionisation energies, failing to recognize that successive ionisation energies increase due to the removal of electrons from an increasingly positive ion.
To fix this, students should focus on understanding that as electrons are removed, the remaining electrons experience a greater effective nuclear charge, leading to higher ionisation energies. Reviewing the concepts of electron shielding and effective nuclear charge can also help clarify these trends.
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