Question

the table shows the first, second, and third ionization energies of four elements of period 6. one of the elements is a noble gas. from the information in the table, which option, reading in order from left to right, correctly completes the sentences? an element may be chosen more than once or not at all.

ionization energy (ie) kj/mol	first ie	second ie	third ie
element 2	376	2234	3203
element 3	503	965	3458
element 4	1037	2060	2840

the noble gas is most likely element __. of the four, element has the largest atomic radius. the element which would form cations with a 2+ charge is __.

o 3 3 4
o 4 2 1
o 1 3 2
o 4 2 3

Explanation:

Step1: Identify noble - gas

Noble gases have very high first ionization energies due to their stable electron configurations. Element 4 has the highest first ionization energy among the four, so it is most likely the noble gas.

Step2: Determine element with largest atomic radius

Elements with low first ionization energies generally have larger atomic radii. Element 2 has the lowest first ionization energy, indicating it has the largest atomic radius as it is easier to remove an electron from a larger - sized atom.

Step3: Find element forming 2+ cations

An element that forms 2+ cations will have a relatively small jump from the first to the second ionization energy and a large jump from the second to the third ionization energy. Element 3 has a relatively small increase from the first to the second ionization energy and a large increase from the second to the third, suggesting it can lose two electrons easily to form a 2+ cation.

Answer:

D. 4 2 3