Which order is correct ?

Options

A. `N gt O(IP_(2))`
B. `O gt N(IP_(1))`
C. `Zn gt Mn (IP_(1))`
D. `Al gt B(IP_(1))`

Answer

To determine the correct order of ionization potentials among the elements mentioned in the question, we will analyze the ionization potentials of nitrogen, oxygen, zinc, manganese, aluminum, and boron based on their electronic configurations.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Ionization Potential**:
- Ionization potential (IP) is the energy required to remove an electron from an atom or ion in the gaseous state. Higher IP indicates that more energy is needed to remove an electron.

2. **Electronic Configurations**:
- **Nitrogen (N)**: 1s² 2s² 2p³
- **Oxygen (O)**: 1s² 2s² 2p⁴
- **Zinc (Zn)**: [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s²
- **Manganese (Mn)**: [Ar] 3d⁵ 4s²
- **Aluminum (Al)**: [Ne] 3s² 3p¹
- **Boron (B)**: 1s² 2s² 2p¹

3. **First Ionization Potential**:
- **Nitrogen vs. Oxygen**:
- Nitrogen has a half-filled p subshell (2p³), which is more stable than oxygen's (2p⁴). Therefore, nitrogen has a higher first ionization potential than oxygen.
- **Zinc vs. Manganese**:
- Zinc has a fully filled d subshell (3d¹⁰), making it more stable than manganese (3d⁵). Thus, zinc has a higher ionization potential than manganese.
- **Aluminum vs. Boron**:
- Boron has a half-filled p subshell (2p¹), while aluminum has a p subshell that is not half-filled. Therefore, boron has a higher first ionization potential than aluminum.

4. **Second Ionization Potential**:
- The second ionization potential is generally higher for elements that achieve a stable electronic configuration after losing the first electron.
- For nitrogen, after losing one electron, it becomes N⁺ (1s² 2s² 2p²), which is less stable than O⁺ (1s² 2s² 2p³). Thus, oxygen will have a higher second ionization potential than nitrogen.

5. **Conclusion**:
- The correct order based on the analysis is:
- First Ionization Potential: N > O
- Second Ionization Potential: O > N
- Zn > Mn
- B > Al

Thus, the correct order of ionization potentials is **N > O > Zn > Mn > B > Al**.