Meaning of Ionization Energy

[Ysabelle Magat 1E]

Hi,

On question 24 of the achieve homework, we are asked to identify why oxygen has a lower first ionization energy than both nitrogen and fluorine. What does the question mean by ionization energy?

Thank you

[Raymond_Kallely_1A]

Ionization can be thought of as the energy needed to remove an electron from a species. When looking at the periodic table, the assumption would be that ionization energies go as nitrogen<oxygen<fluorine. This is untrue, however, as the real rankings go as oxygen<nitrogen<fluorine. This is because oxygen is able to attain a more stabilized state by losing one electron from the shell to attain half-filled electronic configuration. Oxygen wants to lose its electrons, as it keeps it in a stable state.

[Fiona H 2E]

Hi! Just to emphasize what was said above, whenever you see 'Ionization Energy,' just think of the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an isolated atom or molecule. The higher the energy, the more difficult it is to remove an electron and visa versa.

[Harrington Bubb3A]

Hi! Just to emphasize what was said above, whenever you see 'Ionization Energy,' just think of the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an isolated atom or molecule. The higher the energy, the more difficult it is to remove an electron and visa versa.

Got it so does that mean atoms can have more ionization energy then others if it is very difficult to remove the electron.

[Hannah Carsey 1B]

Ionization energy, also called ionization potential, is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an isolated atom or molecule. Among the chemical elements of any period, removal of an electron is hardest for the noble gases and easiest for the alkali metals. The way I think about ionization energy is that it is the energy required to remove an electron from an atom, the closer to the nucleus (where positively charged protons are that negatively charged electrons in energy levels outside the nucleus are attracted to) an electron is, the more attraction this electron will experience towards the nucleus, the more energy it will require to remove such electron. If a nucleus has more protons and the same amount of energy levels when two atoms / molecules are being compared (or if you are comparing a specific energy level in two different molecules (ex. just n=3), the molecule with the greater amount of protons will have a greater ability to attract electrons and will therefore attract those electrons with a greater amount of energy, making such electrons more difficult to remove.

[SuryaDham 3E]

ionization energy is just how much energy it will take to take an electron from an atom. Since oxygen has a larger atomic radius than both nitrogen and fluorine, the electrons are slightly farther away from the nucleus and the attraction from the nucleus onto them is less. So, it will take less energy to remove an electron from oxygen than fluorine and nitrogen.

[Srikar_Chintala_1E]

Ionization energy refers to the amount of energy required to take an electron from an atom. Hence, if one atom has a higher ionization energy than another, it means it is easier to take an electron from that atom than the other.

[Hailey Sarmiento 3E]

Ionization energy is the energy required to remove an electron from an atom. Ionization energy changes with atomic radii and the core nuclear charge of an atom.

[Sarah Lesmeister 2F]

It's the energy required to remove an electron. It decreases as you go down a group and increases across a period