Of the 3 elements fluorine, nitrogen, and carbon , what is the atomic number of the one that has the lowest ionization energy?
To determine the atomic number of the element that has the lowest ionization energy among fluorine (F), nitrogen (N), and carbon (C), we need to understand that ionization energy is the energy required to remove an electron from an atom. Elements with a lower ionization energy tend to have a smaller atomic number.
To find the atomic number, we can refer to the periodic table. The periodic table lists elements in order of increasing atomic number. By analyzing the location of fluorine, nitrogen, and carbon on the periodic table, we can determine their atomic numbers and compare them.
Fluorine (F) is located in the second period, at the top right of the periodic table, with an atomic number of 9.
Nitrogen (N) is located in the second period, just below oxygen (O), with an atomic number of 7.
Carbon (C) is located in the second period, between boron (B) and nitrogen (N), with an atomic number of 6.
Comparing the atomic numbers, we can conclude that carbon (C) has the lowest atomic number, indicating that it has the lowest ionization energy among fluorine, nitrogen, and carbon.