Which of the following elements has the largest first ionization energy?
Practice Questions
Q1
Which of the following elements has the largest first ionization energy?
Lithium
Beryllium
Boron
Carbon
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which of the following elements has the largest first ionization energy?
Correct Answer: Carbon
Step 1: Understand what ionization energy is. It is the energy required to remove the outermost electron from an atom.
Step 2: Know that ionization energy generally increases across a period (from left to right) in the periodic table.
Step 3: Recognize that ionization energy generally decreases down a group (from top to bottom) in the periodic table.
Step 4: Identify the elements listed in the question and their positions in the periodic table.
Step 5: Compare the positions of the elements. The element that is further to the right and higher up in the periodic table will have the largest first ionization energy.
Step 6: Conclude that carbon, being in the second period and to the right of many other elements, has a larger first ionization energy than the others listed.