Final answer:
Successive ionization energies refer to the energy required to remove electrons in sequence from an atom, increasing with each electron removed, and spiking dramatically when core electrons are extracted after the valence electrons.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Successive Ionization Energies
The concept of successive ionization energies (IE) is crucial in chemistry, particularly when discussing the properties of elements. Successive ionization energies refer to the amount of energy required to remove electrons from an atom or ion in a sequential manner. With each electron removal, the ionization energy increases due to the increasing electrostatic attraction between the remaining electrons and the nucleus.
A significant increase in ionization energy occurs when an electron is removed from a core shell after valence electrons have been removed. This is because core electrons are closer to the nucleus and are more strongly attracted to it. For instance, the successive IEs of magnesium (Mg) and elements Sc and Ga illustrate that the significant jump in ionization energy happens after the valence electrons are stripped off and core electrons start being removed.
Looking at the provided electronic configurations (A, C, and D), we can deduce which element corresponds to the given set of ionization energies by noting where a large jump in ionization energy occurs. This jump usually indicates that the removal has started targeting more tightly bound core electrons rather than the more loosely held valence electrons.