BRAINCAKETrends in Ionisation Energy Down A Group
Ionisation energy decreases down a group. This is because there are more shells so there is more shielding from inner shell electrons and the electron to be removed is farther away from the nucleus. This outweighs the increased attraction due to the increased nuclear charge.
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Key terms in this lesson
- Shielding
- The repulsion of outer electrons by electrons in inner shells, which reduces the net attraction of the nucleus for the outer electrons.
- Group
- A vertical column of the periodic table, containing elements with the same number of outer-shell electrons.
More in Atomic Structure
- Quantum Mechanics
- Energy Levels
- Atomic Orbitals
- Order of filling orbitals
- Electron Configuration
- First Ionisation Energy
- Successive Ionisation Energies
- Trends in First Ionisation Energy Across a Period
All 22 lessons in Atomic Structure · All AQA AS-level Chemistry topics