Three elements in Period 3 of the periodic table—Aluminum (Al), Silicon (Si)
CHEMISTRY · Multi-part · A Level · Chemistry · Periodicity and periodic trends · Periodicity and periodic trends
Problem
Three elements in Period 3 of the periodic table—Aluminum (Al), Silicon (Si), and Phosphorus (P)—are frequently used in semiconductor devices.
Answer the following questions about these elements.
(a) Write the complete ground-state electron configuration for each element.
(b) Rank the three elements in order of increasing first ionization energy.
Provide your ranking using the format: lowest < middle < highest.
(c) Justify the ranking you gave in part (b) by discussing the relative magnitudes of effective nuclear charge and shielding experienced by the valence electrons in each element.