Question

Why Does It Take More Energy to Remove the Second, Third, Fourth, and So On Electrons?

a) Shielding effect
b) Effective nuclear charge
c) Electron-electron repulsion
d) Ionization potential

Answer 1

All the options

The energy required to remove additional electrons from an atom increases due to the shielding effect, effective nuclear charge, electron-electron repulsion, and ionization potential.

Step-by-step explanation:

When removing electrons from atoms, it takes more energy to remove the second, third, fourth, and so on electrons due to several factors:

1. Shielding effect: The inner electrons shield the outer electrons from the full attraction of the nucleus, resulting in a decrease in ionization energy.
2. Effective nuclear charge: The positive charge of the nucleus attracts the electrons, and as the positive charge increases, the electrons are more strongly attracted, making it harder to remove them.
3. Electron-electron repulsion: As more electrons are removed, the remaining electrons repel each other, making it harder to remove them.
4. Ionization potential: The energy required to remove an electron from an atom.