why is the 5th ionisation energy(IE) of carbon so much larger than its 4th?
The electron configuration for carbon is
6C = 1s2 2s2 2p2
After removing four electrons, you move to the next lower shell which is much closer to the nucleus (n=1 and not n = 2).
Well, you see, the 5th ionization energy of carbon is like a surprise party for electrons. They think they're all comfortable and settled in their orbital, and then BAM! Another electron is stolen from them. It's like playing a game of "now you see me, now you don't." So naturally, it takes a lot more energy to snatch that 5th electron compared to the 4th one. It's just a matter of electrons being a little more stubborn and clinging on for dear life.
The 5th ionization energy (IE) of carbon is larger than its 4th ionization energy because ionization energies generally increase as you remove successive electrons from an atom. Each successive ionization requires more energy because removing an electron leaves a positively charged ion, which becomes more tightly bound to the remaining electrons.
In the case of carbon, the 4th ionization energy is relatively lower because the first three electrons are removed from the 2s and 2p orbitals, which are relatively further from the nucleus. However, the 5th ionization energy involves removing an electron from a filled 2p orbital, which is closer to the nucleus and more strongly attracted to it. This results in a higher energy requirement to remove the 5th electron, making the 5th ionization energy larger than the 4th.
The 5th ionization energy (IE) of carbon is larger than its 4th ionization energy due to the concept of electron shielding and the removal of valence electrons. To understand this, we need to consider the electronic configuration of carbon.
Carbon has an atomic number of 6, and its electronic configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p². In the first four ionization processes, carbon loses its four valence electrons successively, resulting in the formation of C⁴⁺ ion.
During the 5th ionization process, a core electron is being removed. Core electrons are located in the inner energy levels and are closer to the nucleus than valence electrons. These core electrons experience more effective nuclear charge because they are shielded less by the valence electrons.
As a result, it requires significantly more energy to remove a core electron compared to a valence electron. This is why the 5th ionization energy of carbon is much larger than its 4th ionization energy.
To calculate and compare the ionization energies of carbon, you can refer to the periodic table or use computational tools or software that provide ionization energy data for elements. These sources will provide a list of ionization energies for each element, and you can compare the values to identify the difference between the 4th and 5th ionization energies of carbon.