Given the following elements and three values of possible first ionization energies:

Si, Na, Cl and 496, 1251, and 786 kJ·mol–1

Match the atoms with their ionization energies.

Question

Given the following elements and three values of possible first ionization energies:

Si, Na, Cl and 496, 1251, and 786 kJ·mol–1

Match the atoms with their ionization energies.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

We are asked to match three elements (Si, Na, Cl) with three given first ionization energies (496, 1251, and 786 kJ·mol–1).
First, recall general trends and known values: alkali metals like sodium have relatively low first ionization energies because they lose one electron readily to achieve a stable configuration. Chlorine, a halogen, has a high first ionization energy since it is close to a noble gas configuration and removing an electron is energetically costly. Silicon, a metalloid, has an intermediate ionization energy between the highly reactive alkali metals and the nonmetal halogens. With these concepts in mind, we can begin assigning values.
Option-by-option analysis:
Option 1: Cl (1251), Si (786), and Na (496 kJ·mol–1).
- This arrangement assigns the largest energy (1251) to chlorine, which is consistent with chlorine being a nonmetal close to a noble gas configuration and typically having a high ionization energy. The middle energy (786) to silicon also fits its intermediate position, and the smallest energy (496) to sodium matches the expectation for an alkali metal. This option aligns with known periodic trends and the qualitative ordering Na < Si < Cl in ionization energies.
Option 2: Cl (1251), Si (496), and Na (786 kJ·mol–1).
- Here silicon is given an energy smaller than sodium, which contradicts the general trend that silicon’s ionization energy should be higher than that of sodium due to its covalent network character and higher effective nuclear charge on the valence electrons. This assignment misorders Si and Na.
Option 3: Cl (496), Si (786), and Na (1251 kJ·mol–1).
- This places chlorine at the smallest energy, which is inconsistent with chlorine’s high tendency to retain electrons and form a stable anion; it should not have the lowest first ionization energy among these three elements. Moreover, sodium ends up with the largest energy, which clashes with sodium’s well-known low ionization energy.
Option 4: Cl (786), Si (1251), and Na (496 kJ·mol–1).
- In this case, chlorine’s energy is set equal to silicon’s (786) while silicon is given the highest energy (1251). This conflicts with both the intermediate position of silicon and the high energy expected for chlorine. The ordering here contradicts the characteristic differences among a halogen, a metalloid, and an alkali metal.
Option 5: Cl (496), Si (1251), and Na (786 kJ·mol–1).
- This arrangement severely misassigns chlorine to a low energy (496), which is inconsistent with its high affinity for electrons and typical high ionization energy. It also places silicon at the highest energy, which does not reflect its intermediate nature, and reassigns sodium to an intermediate value rather than the expected lowest value.
Across all options, the reasoning that aligns with elemental periodic trends is that sodium should have the smallest ionization energy, chlorine the largest, and silicon in between. The consistent and physically reasonable mapping among the proposed energies is Na → 496, Si → 786, Cl → 1251, which matches Option 1.

Given the following elements and three values of possible first ionization energies: Si, Na, Cl and 496, 1251, and 786 kJ·mol–1 Match the atoms with their ionization energies.

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