To determine the correct order of second ionization energies (IE₂) for the elements neon (Ne), fluorine (F), oxygen (O), and nitrogen (N), we will analyze their electronic configurations, stability, and atomic sizes.
### Step-by-Step Solution:
1. **Identify Electronic Configurations**:
- Neon (Ne): 1s² 2s² 2p⁶
- Fluorine (F): 1s² 2s² 2p⁵
- Oxygen (O): 1s² 2s² 2p⁴
- Nitrogen (N): 1s² 2s² 2p³
2. **Consider the First Ionization Energies (IE₁)**:
- Neon has a complete octet and is very stable, thus it has the highest first ionization energy.
- Nitrogen has a half-filled p subshell (2p³), which provides extra stability.
- Oxygen has a slightly lower first ionization energy due to its electron-electron repulsion in the 2p orbital.
- Fluorine has a high first ionization energy but is less than neon.
3. **Analyze the Second Ionization Energies (IE₂)**:
- For Ne, after removing one electron, the remaining configuration is still stable (1s² 2s² 2p⁵). Thus, its second ionization energy will be high.
- For F, after removing one electron (to become F⁺), the configuration becomes 1s² 2s² 2p⁴. The second ionization energy will be high due to the small size and high effective nuclear charge.
- For O, after removing one electron (to become O⁺), the configuration becomes 1s² 2s² 2p³. The half-filled configuration provides stability, making the second ionization energy relatively high.
- For N, after removing one electron (to become N⁺), the configuration becomes 1s² 2s² 2p². The removal of the second electron from a half-filled subshell is less favorable, leading to a lower second ionization energy compared to the others.
4. **Compare the Second Ionization Energies**:
- Ne > O > F > N
- Neon has the highest second ionization energy due to its stable configuration.
- Oxygen follows due to its half-filled stability.
- Fluorine comes next because of its small size and high effective nuclear charge.
- Nitrogen has the lowest second ionization energy due to its larger size and less favorable removal of the second electron.
### Final Order:
The correct order of second ionization energies (IE₂) is:
**Ne > O > F > N**
