Final answer:
Carbon (C) requires the highest energy to take out an electron among Ge, C, Si, and Pb, because ionization energy increases across a period and carbon is located farthest to the right and highest up among the given elements. The correct answer is option: (b) C
Step-by-step explanation:
The question you have asked is related to the ionization energy of elements, which is the energy required to remove an electron from an atom in the gas phase. To determine which element requires the highest energy to take out an electron, we need to consider the element's position on the periodic table. Ionization energy generally increases across a period (from left to right) and decreases down a group (from top to bottom) due to the increasing effective nuclear charge and increasing distance of the valence electron from the nucleus, respectively.
In your list of elements (Ge, C, Si, Pb), carbon (C) would require the highest energy to take out an electron because it is farthest to the right and highest up in the periodic table among the given elements. Carbon has a higher effective nuclear charge and a smaller atomic radius compared to Ge, Si, and Pb, resulting in a higher ionization energy.