Why is the first ionisation energy of Potassium less than Sodium?

The first ionisation energy is the energy required to move one mole of electrons from one mole of atoms in its gaseous state.
The outer electron in Potassium is in the 4s orbital, which is further away from the nucleus than the 3s orbital of the Sodium. The greater distance means that the attraction between the electron is weaker.
The electron in Potassium is also more affected by shielding due to more shells, further weakening this attraction. This means that less energy is needed to remove the outermost electron and therefore the ionisation energy is lower.

AR

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

Types of chemical bonds


How could you obtain a carboxylic acid from oxidation of an alcohol and what type of alcohol would be suitable?


How do I write the full equation of a cell from two half cells? (basic, with matching electron counts and no water/acid)


Why do ionisation energies typically increase upon going across a period yet decrease upon going down a group?