Chemistry - Sem 2 Flashcards
(2 cards)
Why is the 1st ionisation energy higher for non metals than metals?
The number of electrons between the outer electrons and the nucleus.
Consider a sodium atom, with the electronic structure 2,8,1. (There’s no reason why you can’t use this notation if it’s useful!)
If the outer electron looks in towards the nucleus, it doesn’t see the nucleus sharply. Between it and the nucleus there are the two layers of electrons in the first and second levels. The 11 protons in the sodium’s nucleus have their effect cut down by the 10 inner electrons. The outer electron therefore only feels a net pull of approximately 1+ from the centre. This lessening of the pull of the nucleus by inner electrons is known as screening or shielding.
The nonmetals like neon, Ne, fluorine, F, and oxygen, O, have relatively high ionization energies. This indicates that the nonmetals have strong attractions for their valence electrons. The nonmetals hold on to their electrons. In fact nonmetals gain electrons to form negative ions.
What are the factors affecting magnitude of ionisation energy?
- The charge on the nucleus.
The more protons there are in the nucleus, the more positively charged the nucleus is, and the more strongly electrons are attracted to it.
- The distance of the electron from the nucleus.
Attraction falls off very rapidly with distance. An electron close to the nucleus will be much more strongly attracted than one further away.
- The number of electrons between the outer electrons and the nucleus.
Consider a sodium atom, with the electronic structure 2,8,1. (There’s no reason why you can’t use this notation if it’s useful!)
If the outer electron looks in towards the nucleus, it doesn’t see the nucleus sharply. Between it and the nucleus there are the two layers of electrons in the first and second levels. The 11 protons in the sodium’s nucleus have their effect cut down by the 10 inner electrons. The outer electron therefore only feels a net pull of approximately 1+ from the centre. This lessening of the pull of the nucleus by inner electrons is known as screening or shielding.
- Whether the electron is on its own in an orbital or paired with another electron.
Two electrons in the same orbital experience a bit of repulsion from each other. This offsets the attraction of the nucleus, so that paired electrons are removed rather more easily than you might expect.
