So, this AP kid bought a set of flash cards, and this one has me boggled, because I never got the topic down as a student myself.
What about this data table tells me the ion charges on these fake atoms?
Consider a real element, like sodium. That first electron is really easy to knock off-- Sodium will pretty much give away its valence electron to the first person who asks. So the first electron will have a low ionization energy. But to strip off two electrons, you have to put in the energy for the first one, which isn’t much… but then you have a full outer shell, and it’s a shell that’s deeper in, and harder to strip electrons from. So in addition to the small energy for the first one, now you have to put in a big amount of energy to strip the second one (and the third, and the fourth, if you’re trying to ionize it further).
It’s similar for calcium: The two valence electrons are pretty easy, but then you get to harder electrons, and have to pay a steep price for each of them.
Now look at the energies on those tables again.
Of course. Thanks
Sodium is the slut of the periodic table?
It’s not just sodium — the whole family is like that, always stirring up trouble and making a scene. Best not to associate with the lot of them.
Yeah, sodium’s positively demure compared to her big sisters. But at least none of them will give up their electrons to two halogens at once, like those alkaloids will… <tsk, tsk>