does the periodic element Europium easily ionize?

Answer 1

Yes.

Eu's first ionizatoin potential is 547.1  kJ/mol. This is between Sodium's first ionization potential of 496 and Aluminum's of 577. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionization_energy

There are few commercial applications for europium metal, although it has been used to dope some types of glass to make lasers, as well as being used for screening for Down syndrome and some other genetic diseases. Due to its ability to absorb neutrons, it is also being studied for use in nuclear reactors. Europium oxide (Eu2O3) is widely used as a red phosphor in television sets and fluorescent lamps, and as an activator for yttrium-based phosphors. It is also being used as an agent for the manufacture of fluorescent glass. Europium fluorescence is used to interogate biomolecular interactions in drug-discovery screens. It is also used in the anti-counterfeiting phosphors in Euro banknotes.

Answer 2

Europium has a first ionization energy (the amount of energy needed to remove the first electron from the atom) of 547 kJ/mol; this is lower than helium (2372), but higher than francium (380).

As a rule, metals are easily ionized, since they have loosely bound electrons in their outermost energy levels, and the farther down and to the left the element appears on the Periodic Table, the easier it is to ionize.

Remember that the lanthanides are down in the lower left corner, so all should be relatively easy to ionize.

This fact explains why these elements rarely appear in nature as pure elements, but are more usually found bonded to oxygen tp form oxides (or earths to use the archaic term, hence the old name of the lanthanides: rare earths).

Answer 3

What is your question? Is it "Does europium metal dissociate into Eu+ ions and electrons easily?" Or is it "Does europium oxidize easily?" If your question is ionize, then the answer must be that it ionizes as easily as other rare earth metals. If your question is "oxidize," then the answer is yes. Europium is found in nature in an oxidized state in monazite sand in South Africa and other ores in Scandinavian countries.

Answer 4

Yes, compared to many other elements.
First ionisation energy is 547.1 kJ per mole

To compare you can take a look at the graph of forst ionisation energies plotted against atomic number (Europium has atomic number 63). See the second reference below for the graph.

Answer 5

I am not sure but I think it does.