The first eight ionisation energies for a particular neutral atom is as given below. All values are expressed in `kJ mol^(-1)`. Which oxidation states `(s)` is`//`are not possible of the atom ?
`{:(1st,2nd,3rd,4th,5th,6th,7th,8th,),(1.31,3.39,5.30,7.47,10.99,13.33,71.33,84.01,):}`

Options

A. `-2`
B. `-3`
C. `-6`
D. `6`

Explanation

To determine which oxidation states are not possible for the atom based on the given ionization energies, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Analyze the Ionization Energies
The first eight ionization energies are given as:
1. 1st: 1.31 kJ/mol
2. 2nd: 3.39 kJ/mol
3. 3rd: 5.30 kJ/mol
4. 4th: 7.47 kJ/mol
5. 5th: 10.99 kJ/mol
6. 6th: 13.33 kJ/mol
7. 7th: 71.33 kJ/mol
8. 8th: 84.01 kJ/mol

### Step 2: Identify the Trend
Notice that the ionization energies increase gradually from the 1st to the 6th ionization energy, but there is a significant jump between the 6th (13.33 kJ/mol) and the 7th (71.33 kJ/mol) ionization energies. This large increase indicates that removing the 7th electron is much more difficult than removing the previous six electrons.

### Step 3: Determine the Group of the Element
The significant jump in ionization energy after the 6th electron suggests that the atom achieves a stable noble gas configuration after losing 6 electrons. This implies that the atom likely belongs to Group 16 of the periodic table (the oxygen family), where elements typically have 6 valence electrons.

### Step 4: Possible Oxidation States
In Group 16, elements can exhibit oxidation states of:
- -2 (gaining 2 electrons)
- 0 (neutral state)
- +2 (losing 2 electrons)
- +4 (losing 4 electrons)
- +6 (losing 6 electrons)

### Step 5: Identify Impossible Oxidation States
Since the atom achieves a noble gas configuration after losing 6 electrons, it becomes very difficult to remove additional electrons. Therefore, the oxidation states that are not possible for this atom are:
- +6 (removing 6 electrons is the maximum)
- -3 (gaining 3 electrons is not feasible as it would require more than 6 electrons)
- -6 (gaining 6 electrons is not feasible as it would exceed the valence shell capacity)

### Conclusion
The oxidation states that are not possible for the atom are:
- +6
- -3
- -6