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What happens to the ionization energy as one goes down a group?

Answer 1

Ionization energy decreases down a Group, a column of the Periodic Table......

We look at the procedure:

#M(g) + Delta rarr M^(+)(g) + e^-#

The given principle is supported by simple electrostatics: the electrostatic force of attraction should decrease with increasing distance between the valence electron and the positive nucleus, and it does.

For more information, see the wiki entry.

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Answer 2

Serenity Allen

As one goes down a group, the ionization energy generally decreases. This is due to the increase in atomic size and shielding effect provided by additional electron shells, which reduces the attraction between the nucleus and the outermost electrons, making it easier to remove them.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.