Question

Arrange the following elements in order of decreasing ionization energy.

Rank from highest to lowest ionization energy. To rank items as equivalent, overlap them.
Phosphorus, Strontium, silver, germanium, molybdenum

Answer 1

To rank the elements phosphorus, strontium, silver, germanium, and molybdenum by decreasing ionization energy, consider their positions on the periodic table, with phosphorus having the highest and strontium having the lowest ionization energy.

Step-by-step explanation:

To arrange the elements phosphorus, strontium, silver, germanium, and molybdenum in order of decreasing ionization energy, we should consider their positions in the periodic table. Ionization energy tends to increase across a period (from left to right) and decrease down a group (from top to bottom). Therefore, the element with the highest ionization energy is likely to be at the top right of the group, while the one with the lowest is at the bottom left.

1. Phosphorus (P)
2. Silver (Ag)
3. Molybdenum (Mo)
4. Germanium (Ge)
5. Strontium (Sr)

This order reflects the general trend that nonmetals (like phosphorus) typically have higher ionization energies than metals (like strontium), and elements in higher periods (like silver and molybdenum) generally have higher ionization energies than those in lower periods (like strontium and germanium).