An element has successive ionization enthalpies as 940 (first),2080,3090,4140,7030,7870,16000 and 19500 kJ `mol^(-1)`. To which group of the periodic table does this element belong?

Options

A. 14
B. 15
C. 16
D. 17

Answer

To determine the group of the periodic table to which the element with the given successive ionization enthalpies belongs, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Analyze the Ionization Energies
We have the following successive ionization enthalpies:
- \( IE_1 = 940 \, \text{kJ/mol} \)
- \( IE_2 = 2080 \, \text{kJ/mol} \)
- \( IE_3 = 3090 \, \text{kJ/mol} \)
- \( IE_4 = 4140 \, \text{kJ/mol} \)
- \( IE_5 = 7030 \, \text{kJ/mol} \)
- \( IE_6 = 7870 \, \text{kJ/mol} \)
- \( IE_7 = 16000 \, \text{kJ/mol} \)
- \( IE_8 = 19500 \, \text{kJ/mol} \)

### Step 2: Identify Large Jumps in Ionization Energies
Next, we need to look for significant jumps in the ionization energies, which indicate the removal of an electron from a more stable electronic configuration:
- The jump from \( IE_4 \) (4140 kJ/mol) to \( IE_5 \) (7030 kJ/mol) is significant (approximately 2900 kJ/mol).
- The jump from \( IE_6 \) (7870 kJ/mol) to \( IE_7 \) (16000 kJ/mol) is also significant (approximately 8000 kJ/mol).
- The jump from \( IE_7 \) (16000 kJ/mol) to \( IE_8 \) (19500 kJ/mol) is smaller but still notable.

### Step 3: Determine the Electron Configuration
The large jump between \( IE_4 \) and \( IE_5 \) suggests that the first four electrons are being removed from a stable configuration, likely corresponding to a noble gas or a filled subshell. The significant increase in ionization energy indicates that the fifth electron is being removed from a much more stable inner shell.

### Step 4: Predict the Group
The first four ionization energies suggest that the element has four valence electrons, which is characteristic of Group 14 elements (e.g., Carbon, Silicon). However, the significant jump indicates that after removing four electrons, the element reaches a stable electron configuration, which suggests that it is likely to be a Group 16 element (e.g., Oxygen, Sulfur, Selenium) because these elements typically have six valence electrons.

### Conclusion
Given the analysis of the successive ionization enthalpies and the significant jumps indicating a stable electronic configuration, we conclude that the element belongs to **Group 16** of the periodic table.

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