Final answer:
Ionization energies are always positive because removing an electron from an atom requires an input of energy, contrary to the false claim that ionization energies are negative.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that ionization energies are always negative is false. Ionization energy refers to the energy required to remove an electron from an atom to form a cation. Since this process requires an input of energy, ionization energies are always positive. The energy change during ionization can be represented as:
energy required = IE
Where IE is the ionization energy. The larger the ionization energy (IE), the more tightly the electron is bound to the nucleus and the harder it is to remove. Typical units for ionization energies are kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol) or electron volts (eV).