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

3453 Views

See similar Chemistry A Level tutors

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

Why does magnesium have a higher melting point than sodium?


Explain the trend in melting points of the period 3 elements


How does the mechanism for electrophilic addition work?


Potassium Chlorate(VII) decomposes to produce Potassium Chloride and Oxygen. Using the following data calculate the enthalpy change of this decomposition: Enthalpy of formation(KClO4) = -430 kJ mol-1, Enthalpy of formation(KCl) = -440 kJ mol-1


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