Ionisation Energy (Cambridge (CIE) AS Chemistry): Exam Questions

The composition of atoms and ions can be determined from knowledge of atomic number, nucleon number and charge.

Complete Table 1.1.

Table 1.1 

Lithium and potassium are Group 1 metals. 

State the following for the potassium 1+ ion with a nucleon number of 39.

Symbol .......................................

[1] 

Full electronic configuration .................................................

[1] 

Beams of protons, neutrons and electrons behave differently in an electric field due to their differing properties.

Fig. 1.1 shows the path of a beam of electrons in an electric field.

Add and label lines to Fig. 1.1 to represent the paths of beams of protons and neutrons in the same field.

Fig. 1.1 

The fifth to eighth ionisation energies of three elements in the third period of the Periodic Table are given. The symbols used for reference are not the actual symbols of the elements.

i) State and explain the group number of element Y.

  Group number ...............................

  Explanation ..............................

[1]

ii) State and explain the general trend in first ionisation energies across the third period.

[2]

iii) Explain why the first ionisation energy of element Y is less than that of element X.

[2]

iv) Complete the electronic configuration of element Z.

1s² .................

[1]

All elements have a value for a first ionisation energy. 

i) Define the term first ionisation energy of an element.

[2]

ii) Write the equation for the first ionisation energy of aluminium.

[1]

Table 3.1 shows successive ionisation energies of an element A, found in period 3 of the Periodic Table.

Table 3.1

Identify element A. Explain your answer using data from Table 3.1.

Fig. 3.1 shows the trend in ionisation energy for Period 3 of the Periodic Table.

Fig. 3.1

i)  Explain why the first ionisation energy increases across Period 3.

[3]

ii) Explain the deviations in the trend. 

[3]

Explain why the second ionisation energy of aluminium is a larger value than the first ionisation energy.

The first six ionisation energies of an element X are given below in Table 5.1.

Table 5.1

Write an equation, with state symbols, for the second ionisation energy of element X.

Use the data given above to deduce in which group of the Periodic Table element X is placed. Explain your answer.

Group ........................................................

Explanation ................................................

The first ionisation energies (I.E.) for the elements of Group 4 are given below in Table 5.2.

Table 5.2

Explain the trend shown by these values in terms of the atomic structure of the elements.

Write the full electronic configuration for germanium.

Fig. 1.1 shows the elements from the first three periods of the Periodic Table.

Fig. 1.1

Identify an element that fits each of the following descriptions:

i) An element that forms a 2- ion with the same electronic configuration as Ne 

[1]

ii) The Period 3 element with the highest boiling point 

[1]

iii) The element from the first three periods with the largest atomic radius 

[1]

iv) The element from the first three periods with the highest first ionisation energy

[1]

v) The Period 3 element with the successive ionisation energies shown in Table 1.1

Table 1.1 

[1]

Fig. 1.2 shows the first ionisation energies for six consecutive elements labelled A-F. 

Fig. 1.2 

Complete the graph to show the first ionisation energies of elements G-K.

Explain why the value of the first ionisation energy for D is greater than for C.

Successive ionisation energies provide evidence for the arrangement of electrons in atoms. In Table 2.1, the successive ionisation energies of oxygen are given.

Table 2.1

i) Give the equation, including state symbols, for the third ionisation energy of oxygen. 

[2]

ii) Explain how this data shows evidence of two energy shells in oxygen.

[2]

Give the full electron configuration of the following atoms and ions.

 i) Te 

[1]

ii) Zn²⁺ 

[1]

iii) Cu²⁺ 

[1]

Palladium is a transition metal that is primarily used in a catalytic converter.

 i) Give the electron configuration for the Zirconium 2+ ion, Zr²⁺, starting with [Kr]. 

[1]

ii) Give the equation including state symbols to represent the third ionisation energy of Zirconium, Zr. 

[1]