Amongst the following statements which is/are correct

Options

A. The second ionization potential of boron is greater than that of carbon
B. First ionization potential of boron is greater than that of carbon
C. The second I.P. of Mg is greater than that of P
D. First I.P. of Al and Ga are almost the same

Explanation

To determine which statements are correct regarding ionization potentials, we will analyze the statements one by one.

### Step 1: Understand Ionization Potential (IP)
Ionization potential (or ionization energy) is the energy required to remove an electron from an atom in its gaseous state. The first ionization potential (IP1) refers to the energy needed to remove the first electron, while the second ionization potential (IP2) refers to the energy needed to remove the second electron.

### Step 2: Analyze the First Statement
**Statement 1:** The second ionization potential of boron is greater than that of carbon.

- **Analysis:**
- Boron (B) has an atomic number of 5 and an electronic configuration of \(1s^2 2s^2 2p^1\).
- Carbon (C) has an atomic number of 6 and an electronic configuration of \(1s^2 2s^2 2p^2\).
- The second ionization potential (IP2) refers to the removal of an electron after the first has been removed.
- After the first ionization, boron becomes \(B^+\) with configuration \(1s^2 2s^2\), while carbon becomes \(C^+\) with configuration \(1s^2 2s^2 2p^1\).
- Removing an electron from a more stable configuration (like \(C^+\)) generally requires less energy than removing from a less stable one (like \(B^+\)).

**Conclusion:** This statement is **incorrect**.

### Step 3: Analyze the Second Statement
**Statement 2:** The second ionization potential of magnesium is greater than that of phosphorus.

- **Analysis:**
- Magnesium (Mg) has an atomic number of 12 and an electronic configuration of \(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2\).
- Phosphorus (P) has an atomic number of 15 and an electronic configuration of \(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^3\).
- The second ionization potential for magnesium involves removing an electron from a stable noble gas configuration after the first electron is removed, resulting in \(Mg^+\) with configuration \(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^1\).
- For phosphorus, the second ionization potential involves removing an electron from a less stable configuration after the first electron is removed, resulting in \(P^+\) with configuration \(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^2\).

**Conclusion:** This statement is **correct**.

### Final Summary
- **Statement 1:** Incorrect
- **Statement 2:** Correct