IB CHEMISTRY

IONISATION ENERGIES
Ionization and affinity
Ionisation means to turn into an ion by removal of one or more electrons. The equivalent
for formation of negative ions, which requires the addition of electrons, is called the
electron affinity.

Excitation is the result of energy being

given to an electron moving it to a higher
energy level. It will still orbit the nucleus,
unless the electron energy level is greater
than the ionisation energy level of the
atom. If enough energy is given to the
electron to remove it from the atom
ionisation has occurred.
Ionisation energy
The energy required to remove 1 mole of electrons from 1 mole of gaseous atoms
forming 1 mole of single charged ions.

This energy is usually expressed in kJ/mol, or the amount of

energy it takes for all the atoms in a mole to lose one
electron each.

The energy needed is dependent on the force with which the

outer electron is held. This in turn is a function of the charge at
the nucleus and the radius of the atom.
Electrostatic force Higher nuclear charge = stronger force.
Smaller atomic radius = stronger force.

Where Z1 is the size (magnitude) if the

charge on the nucleus, Z2 is the charge of
an electron and 'r' is the distance between
them.

or
This shows that the force is proportional to
the product of the charges, and inversely
proportional to the square of the distance
between them. Still confused? In simpler
language, the further apart the charges, the
weaker the force. The bigger the charge, the
larger the force.
Down a group
Descending a group, the nuclear charge increases, but so does the atomic radius. These two factors
would tend to cancel each other out, but the ionisation energy decreases on descending a group.
This is explained by inter-electron repulsions increasing as the number of shells increases. It is
sometimes called the shielding effect.

shielding effect
Across a period
We have already seen that the nuclear charge increases across a period and the atomic radius
decreases. We would expect a steady increase in the force needed to remove an electron (the
ionisation).
Across a period
• There is a general trend upwards across a period, but there are two points of inflexion
(changes of direction) in both period 2 and 3. In period 2 the first point of inflexion is
between element number 4 and 5, beryllium and boron.
• There can be no doubt that the nuclear charge increases from beryllium to boron
therefore the only possible reasons for boron requiring less energy to dislodge an
electron are either inter-electron repulsion, or the electron is further from the nucleus
that previously thought.
• We now know that boron loses an electron from a 'p' sup-shell, which is more diffuse and
further from the nucleus.
• The point of inflexion between nitrogen and oxygen is explained by inter-electron
repulsion between two electrons now paired in a 'p' orbital.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Ionization Energies
The symbol I1 stands for the first ionization energy (energy required to take away an electron from a neutral
atom) and the symbol I2 stands for the second ionization energy (energy required to take away an electron from
an atom with a +1 charge. Each succeeding ionization energy is larger than the preceding energy. This means
that I1<I2<I3<...<In will always be true.
Electron affinity
• The electron affinity is defined as the energy change when 1 mole of gaseous negative ions
is formed from 1 mole of gaseous atoms and 1 mole of electrons (definition not needed).

• The 1st electron affinity is usually exothermic (in some cases it is zero).
• The electron affinity is a measure of the electron attracting ability of an atom. When the
nuclear charge is high and the atomic radius is small the electron can approach closer to
the atomic nucleus and feel a greater force if attraction. This translates into a larger
energy release when the electron bonds to the atom.
 Group and period
• The electron affinity decreases on descending a group. The number of energy shells increases and
the electron is faced with more inter-electron repulsion as it approaches.
• Notice that the 1st electron affinity of fluorine does not follow the group trend. This is thought to
be because of inter-electron repusions in a full tightly packed second shell.

• The electron affinity increases across a period as the atomic radius gets smaller and the nuclear
charge gets larger.
Ionization Energy and Electron Affinity-Similar Trend
Both ionization energy and electron affinity have similar trend in the periodic table. For example,
just as ionization energy increases along the periods, electron affinity also increases. Likewise,
electron affinity decreases from top to bottom due to the same factor, i.e., shielding effect.
Halogens can capture an electron easily as compared to elements in the first and second group.
This tendency to capture an electron in a gaseous state is termed as electronegativity. This
tendency also determines one of the chemical differences between Non metallic and metallic
elements.
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