Problem 101 - Chemistry: The Central Science

Question

It is possible to define metallic character as we do in this book and base it on the reactivity of the element and the ease with which it loses electrons. Alternatively, one could measure how well electricity is conducted by each of the elements to determine how "metallic" the elements are. On the basis of conductivity, there is not much of a trend in the periodic table: Silver is the most conductive metal, and manganese the least. Look up the first ionization energies of silver and manganese; which of these two elements would you call more metallic based on the way we define it in this book?

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

Manganese is more metallic than silver based on the criteria of the ease at which the element loses electrons. This is because manganese has a lower ionization energy (717 kJ/mol) than silver (731 kJ/mol), which indicates that manganese can lose electrons more easily.

Step 1: Look up the first ionization energies of silver and manganese.

First, let's look up the first ionization energies for both elements. Ionization energy refers to the amount of energy needed to remove an electron from an atom. The lower the ionization energy, the more easily an atom loses electrons. According to reference sources, the first ionization energy of silver (Ag) is value: \[ 731 kJ/mol \] The first ionization energy of manganese (Mn) is value: \[ 717 kJ/mol \]

Step 2: Determine which element is more metallic based on its ionization energy.

Now that we've obtained the ionization energies of silver and manganese, we can compare them to decide which element is more metallic. Recall that ease of losing electrons is the criterion for determining metallic character, and elements with lower ionization energies lose electrons more easily. As we found in step 1: Silver (Ag) ionization energy: \[ 731 kJ/mol \] Manganese (Mn) ionization energy: \[ 717 kJ/mol \] Therefore, since the manganese has a lower ionization energy than silver, manganese loses electrons more easily. Based on the definition of metallic character in this book, we can conclude that:

Step 3: Conclusion

Manganese is more metallic than silver based on the criteria of the ease at which the element loses electrons.