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Consider two hydrogen atoms. In one atom the electron is in the ground state. In the other atom, the electron is in the n = 3 energy state. How do the ionization energies for the two H atoms compare?

User SvenG
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Final answer:

The ionization energy of the hydrogen atom with the electron in the n = 3 energy state is lower than that of the hydrogen atom in the ground state.

Step-by-step explanation:

The ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or ion in its ground state. In the case of hydrogen, the ionization energy decreases as the energy level of the electron increases. This means that the ionization energy of the hydrogen atom with the electron in the n = 3 energy state is lower than that of the hydrogen atom in the ground state. In other words, it requires less energy to remove the electron from the hydrogen atom in the n = 3 energy state compared to the ground state.

User Mantoni
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