Question

Sulfur has a lower ionization energy than chlorine because.

a) Sulfur has fewer electrons.
b) Sulfur has a smaller atomic radius.
c) Sulfur has a higher nuclear charge.
d) Sulfur has a stable electron configuration.

Answer 1

Sulfur has a lower ionization energy than chlorine due to its stable electron configuration with paired electrons in the 3p subshell, which causes increased electron repulsion and makes it easier to remove an electron.

Step-by-step explanation:

Sulfur has a lower ionization energy than chlorine. The correct answer is d) Sulfur has a stable electron configuration. This is explained by the electron configuration and the repulsion between electrons in the same subshell. Sulfur's valence electron configuration is [Ne]3s²3p⁴, which means the 3p subshell has an electron pair. These paired electrons repel each other more strongly than unpaired electrons, making it easier to remove an electron and resulting in a lower ionization energy. Chlorine, on the other hand, has a valence electron configuration of [Ne]3s²2⁶3p⁵, which has one fewer paired electron, so the repulsion is not as significant, and the ionization energy is higher.