Question

consider the positions of barium (ba), sulfur (s), silicon (si), and calcium (ca) on the periodic table. the atoms of which element require the least amount of energy to give up an electron when forming chemical bonds?
barium
sulfur
silicon
calcium

Explanation:

Ionization energy is the energy required to remove an electron. In the periodic table, ionization energy decreases down a group and increases across a period. Barium (Ba) is in Group 2 and period 6, calcium (Ca) is in Group 2 and period 4. Since Ba is lower in the group than Ca, it has lower ionization energy. Sulfur (S) is a non - metal in Group 16 and silicon (Si) is a metalloid in Group 14. Non - metals and metalloids generally have higher ionization energies compared to metals in Group 2.

Answer:

barium