Final answer:
Removing an electron from oxygen is less common as oxygen typically gains electrons due to its electronic structure. Oxygen's first ionization energy is slightly less than nitrogen's due to the energy gain from alleviating electron-electron repulsion in a more than half-filled orbital. Nevertheless, as a highly electronegative element, it readily forms oxides and reacts with elements in lower oxidation states.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question addresses the ease of removing an electron from oxygen, a common topic in high school chemistry. Oxygen atoms tend to gain electrons rather than lose them, which can be understood in terms of their electronic structure and ionization energy. Oxygen has a total of eight electrons, with its outer shell containing four 2p electrons. According to its orbital configuration, oxygen has one unpaired electron causing discrepancies in ionization energy trends.
Upon examining the orbital diagram of oxygen, we see that it is configured as 1s²2s²2p⁴. When it comes to removing an electron from oxygen, it's important to note that this action would reduce electron-electron repulsion by leaving a half-filled 2p orbital, which is energetically favorable. This results in a first ionization energy for oxygen that is slightly less than that of nitrogen. However, oxygen is more commonly seen gaining electrons to form oxides or reacting with elements of lower oxidation states to form compounds where oxygen's high electronegativity allows it to easily pick up electrons.