The work function energy of lithium differs from the energy required to remove the outer electron from an?

Question

(continued from above) isolated lithium atom. Why is this so?

Answer 1

work function is the energy required to remove a LOOSELY BOUND ELECTRON from the surface of the metal atom..so it requires less energy to remove a loosely bound electron..where as in an isolated lithium atom,the outer electron is also under the influence of nucleus and besides its more firmly bound to the nuclear forces acting on it..
so it obviously requires more energy to remove elctron from isolated atom or atom than the work function..

hope this helps u..

Answer 2

Normal lithium atom has got three electrons . two in the innermost shell and one electron in the outermost shell. if it loses the outermost electron , then its attains Helium gas electronic configuration. Helium, we know, is inert. Hence,it is stable. Lithium too attains stability due to the removal of outermost electron and this is the reason why the work function is different

Answer 3

you're concerning first ionization capability. components on the a procedures precise of the periodic table. components with an entire shell are happiest. in the event that they'd all be nobel gases, anybody would be in a heartbeat, pulling an electron off of one of those is the toughest. additionally as you progression down the column it gets extra handy to pull them off. consequently, your winner is Helium.