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Why does ionization energy increase on the periodic table?

Answer 1

Because of the increase in nuclear charge across the Period from left to right, as we face it.........

See this old answer. Ionization energy depends on (i) nuclear charge (i.e. #"Z, the atomic number"#), (ii) shielding by other electrons. As explained in the link, shielding of the nuclear charge by electrons in partly-filled valence shells, is VERY ineffective.

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Answer 2

Jose Ayala

Ionization energy increases on the periodic table because as you move across a period from left to right, the number of protons in the nucleus increases, resulting in a stronger attractive force on the electrons in the outer shell. This increased nuclear charge requires more energy to remove an electron, leading to higher ionization energy. Additionally, as you move from bottom to top within a group, ionization energy generally increases due to the decreasing atomic radius, resulting in stronger attraction between the nucleus and the outer electrons.

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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.