Cr and Cu show high second ionization enthalpies due to the removal of electrons from d orbitals, resulting in d⁵ and d¹⁰ configurations in M²⁺ ions, influencing their stability.
Why do Cr and Cu exhibit unusually high second ionization enthalpies, leading to the formation of M²⁺ ions with d⁵ and d¹⁰ configurations?
Share
Chromium (Cr) and copper (Cu) exhibit unusually high second ionization enthalpies due to the stability associated with achieving half-filled (d⁵ for Cr) and fully-filled (d¹⁰ for Cu) electron configurations. In the process of forming M²⁺ ions, removing an electron leads to the favorable d⁵ and d¹⁰ configurations, making the second ionization enthalpies unusually high. The removal of an electron results in these stable configurations, highlighting the tendency of these elements to attain electronic configurations associated with enhanced stability, even at the expense of higher ionization enthalpies.