Which of the following elements has the smallest ionization energy?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
Which of the following elements has the smallest ionization energy?
Lithium
Sodium
Potassium
Rubidium
Ionization energy decreases down a group; rubidium has the smallest ionization energy among these.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: Which of the following elements has the smallest ionization energy?
Solution: Ionization energy decreases down a group; rubidium has the smallest ionization energy among these.
Steps: 5
Step 1: Understand what ionization energy is. It is the energy required to remove an electron from an atom.
Step 2: Know that ionization energy decreases as you move down a group in the periodic table. This means that elements lower in a group have lower ionization energy.
Step 3: Identify the elements you are comparing. In this case, we are looking for the element with the smallest ionization energy.
Step 4: Find the position of rubidium in the periodic table. It is located in Group 1 and is lower than other elements in that group.
Step 5: Conclude that since rubidium is lower in the group, it has the smallest ionization energy compared to the other elements listed.
