Why is there a sharp increase in the third ionization energy of magnesium compared to its first and second ionization energies?
Answered by Dr. Sana Mirza
Mg loses its first two electrons from the 3s orbital, requiring less energy (I1 and I2). The third ionization (I3) involves removing an electron from the stable 2p orbital of the inner shell, which requires significantly more energy due to stronger nuclear attraction.