Explain why first ionisation energy decreases down a group.

As you go down the group, ionisation energy decreases because there are more electron shells and shielding increases, therefore the outer electron is further away from the positive nucleus and is less strongly attracted to it.

IA
Answered by Ifsa A. Chemistry tutor

3635 Views

See similar Chemistry A Level tutors

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

What is meant by the term chiral?


Imagine a reaction A for which the values of ΔH and ΔS are both negative. It is known that the absolute value of ΔS is 3 times smaller than the absolute value of ΔH. For what values of T does reaction A occur spontaneously?


How can crude oil be used as a source of hydrocarbons?


How to calculate acidic buffer solution pH, and how do they behave?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning