Which element has the highest second ionization energy?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking to identify the chemical element that exhibits the highest second ionization energy, which refers to the amount of energy needed to remove a second electron from an ion after the first has been removed.
Answer
lithium (Li)
The final answer is lithium (Li).
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is lithium (Li).
More Information
Lithium (Li) has the highest second ionization energy because removing the second electron involves breaking the stable 1s² noble gas electron configuration.
Tips
A common mistake is confusing the first and second ionization energies. The second ionization energy is significantly higher for elements that achieve a stable electron configuration after the first ionization.
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