Why do large atoms have small ionization energies?

Question

Why do metal ions smaller than their metal atoms?
Why are nonmetal ions larger than their nonmetal atom?
-any help is appreciated, thanks so much

Answer 1

A large atom has a small ionization energy because the outer electron(s) are farther from the nucleus, hence not attracted as strongly. Lose the valence electron(s), and what is left is a smaller noble-gas core. But a nonmetal ion has acquired an electron, which will be in an outer orbital and give an increased size.

Answer 2

My understanding is that the larger the atom is, the further away from the nucleus the electron orbits are.

So, in a large atom the negative electrons are further away from the positive protons in the nucleus. Therefore they are not held as tight by the attractive power of the protons.

So it takes less energy to break them free from the atom. The amount of energy it takes to break electrons free of the atom would be the ionization energy, if I remember correctly.

Once the atom has a smaller number of electrons than it ought to have, to balance the number of positive charges in the nucleus, then this atom is an ion. That is, it has a positive charge.

Of course every atom has an equal number of electrons and protons, normally, and therefore zero charge.

An ion, as you most likely know, is an atom with a either a positive charge or a negative charge. Sometimes an atom can have too many electrons to be exactly neutral. This always happens in solutions, when salts are dissolved. The atoms in the molecules dissociate from one another and each atom becomes an ion (one is a negative ion and the other is a positive ion). But that isn't what you're asking about.

Answer 3

Higher atomic mass atoms have more electrons. The outer shell electrons are further away from the nucleus AND their attraction to the nucleus is "sheilded" by lots more electrons in the lower shells (compared to smaller-Z atoms). So the energy needed to kick one off the outer shell is much less than a more tightly bound electron on a smaller-Z atom.

As for the 2nd part fo the question, it really depends on whether the metal or non-metal atoms are ionized 'plus' or 'minus'. Some metal atoms can go both ways on ionization.

But... for the most part, non-metal atoms (close to the right side of the periodic table) want to take on more electrons to make themselves look like the noble gas in their row, while metal atoms (in the middle and the left side of the periodic table) want to give up electrons to because they are closer to the noble gas in the previous row.

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Answer 4

Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove electrons from an atom to form a +1 cation.
Larger atoms have their outer shells farther away from the nucleus which makes the hold or force holding the valence electrons is minimal than atoms with smaller sizes.hence,electrons with be easily added to the smaller atoms to become octet.

Real life example:
If u have low income but have 5 kids to take care and a friend with a lower income has 3 kids to take care.
Both of you have financial difficulties but your friend will have more financial burden than u have even though you she's has fewer kids,she earns lower than u do.

Metal ions have lost electrons making them smaller than their original size(atom).The same explanation goes all ions and their atomic sizes.

Example: If last month you borrow no money from anybody but this month you borrow money from the bank.you were richer in the previous month than now.Because you've got to pay what u borrow from your salary.

Answer 5

remember that a metal ion already lost its electrons so it lost that energy level that held the electrons it lost. so the atom becomes smaller. a nonmetal ion already gained the electrons so it needs to have another energy level to put the electrons it gained. that's why a nonmetal ion becomes big when it gains.

Answer 6

Well by smaller i'm guessin you mean volume larger atoms have elcectron levels that are farther away from the center of the atom thus making the attraction to the protons weaker, therefore since the attraction is weaker it requires less energy to pull the elctron away from the atom, vice versa for small atoms

Answer 7

large atomes have a bigger ((R)) so the last layer of the atom has less gravity on it so the electrons on it can be taken easier than the inner layers so its ionization energy is less than the small atoms