The low third ionization enthalpy in Zn is due to the removal of one 4s electron, resulting in a stable d¹⁰ configuration. Removing electrons from d⁵ (Mn²⁺) and d¹⁰ (Zn²⁺) ions is challenging, leading to high third ionization enthalpies.
What causes the low third ionization enthalpy in Zn and the difficulty in removing an electron from the d⁵ (Mn²⁺) and d¹⁰ (Zn²⁺) ions?
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The low third ionization enthalpy in zinc (Zn) is attributed to the removal of an electron from the stable d¹⁰ configuration of Zn²⁺. This ionization results in the formation of a highly stable d¹⁰ configuration, making it energetically unfavorable to remove another electron. Similarly, the difficulty in removing an electron from the d⁵ configuration of Mn²⁺ is due to the stability associated with having a half-filled d subshell. The removal of an electron from these stable electronic configurations requires substantial energy, explaining the observed low third ionization enthalpy in Zn and the challenge in removing electrons from Mn²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions.