Successive Ionization Energies

Question

A large jump between 2nd and 3rd ionization energies suggests element has how many valence electrons?

RankGuru · Accepted Answer

1. **Removal logic**: Ionization energy increases for each successive electron removed.
2. **Jump Explanation**: A sudden, huge increase in IE occurs when an electron is removed from a **completely filled, stable inner core** (noble gas shell).
3. **Valence Counting**: If the jump is between $IE_2$ and $IE_3$, it means the first two electrons were 'easy' to remove (valence electrons), but the third one was 'hard' (inner core).
4. **Conclusion**: The element has **$2$ valence electrons** and belongs to **Group 2** (Alkaline Earth Metals).

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Successive Ionization Energies

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