Final answer:
The energy required to separate the K+ and Cl- ions in KCl to an infinite distance apart is approximately 5.14 eV.
Step-by-step explanation:
The energy required to separate the two ions to an infinite distance apart can be calculated using the equation for electrostatic potential energy:
Ucoul = k(Q1Q2/ro)
where Ucoul is the electrostatic potential energy, k is the Coulomb constant (8.99 × 10^9 N · m^2/C^2), Q1 and Q2 are the charges on the ions (elemental charge is 1.6 × 10^-19 C), and ro is the distance between the ions (2.8 × 10^-10 m).
Plugging in the values, we get:
Ucoul = (8.99 × 10^9)(1.6 × 10^-19)(1.6 × 10^-19)/(2.8 × 10^-10)
Simplifying the expression, we find that the energy required to separate the ions is approximately 5.14 eV.