Three consecutive third-period elements have the following first ionization energies:…

CHEMISTRY · Subjective · A Level · Chemistry · Periodicity and periodic trends · Periodicity and periodic trends

Problem

Three consecutive third-period elements have the following first ionization energies: Element A:

1012\,\text{kJ\,mol}^{-1}

Element B:

1000\,\text{kJ\,mol}^{-1}

Element C:

1251\,\text{kJ\,mol}^{-1}

Which element (A, B, or C) has the ground-state electron configuration

[\text{Ne}]\,3s^2\,3p^4

? Briefly justify your choice based on the data.