Periodic Trends

AP Chemistry· difficulty 4/5

Successive ionization energies (kJ/mol) for an element are: IE1 = 800, IE2 = 2430, IE3 = 3660, IE4 = 25000. The element is most likely

  • A

    Group 13 (large jump after IE3)

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  • B

    Group 1 (large jump after IE1)

  • C

    Group 2 (large jump after IE2)

  • D

    Group 14 (large jump after IE4)

Explanation

The huge jump occurs from IE3 to IE4, indicating only 3 valence electrons. That's group 13 (e.g., boron or aluminum). Removing the 4th electron requires breaking into a noble-gas core.

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