Amongst the elements with following electronic configurations, which one of them may have the highest…

Amongst the elements with following electronic configurations, which one of them may have the highest ionisation energy ?
  1. $[\mathrm{Ne}] 3 \mathrm{~s}^2 3 \mathrm{p}^3$
  2. $[\mathrm{Ne}] 3 \mathrm{~s}^2 3 \mathrm{p}^2$
  3. $[\mathrm{Ar}] 3 \mathrm{~d}^{10}, 4 \mathrm{~s}^2 4 \mathrm{p}^3$
  4. $[\mathrm{Ne}] 3 \mathrm{~s}^2 3 \mathrm{p}^1$

Solution

Key Idea Ionisation energy usually increases from left to right in a period with decrease in atomic size and decreases from upto down in a group with increase in atomic size. $\begin{array}{lc}\text { Electronic configuration } & \text { Group } \\ {[\mathrm{Ne}] 3 \mathrm{~s}^2 3 \mathrm{p}^3} & \mathrm{~V} \\ {[\mathrm{Ne}] 3 \mathrm{~s}^2 3 \mathrm{p}^2} & \text { IV } \\ {[\mathrm{Ar}] 3 \mathrm{~d}^{10}, 4 \mathrm{~s}^2, 4 \mathrm{p}^3} & \mathrm{~V} \\ {[\mathrm{Ne}] 3 \mathrm{~s}^2 3 \mathrm{p}^1} & \text { III }\end{array}$ Since IE increases in a period and decreases in a group, [Ne] $3 s^2 3 \mathrm{p}^3$ configuration has the highest ionisation energy among the given.

Asked in: NEET 2009 (Screening)

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