INTRODUCTION:
The ionization energy of an atom measures how strongly an atom holds its electrons.The ionization energy is the minimum energy required to remove an electron from the ground state of the remote gaseous atom
The first ionization energy, I1, is the energy needed to remove the first electron from the atom: i.e. the most loosely held electron!
Na(g) -> Na+(g) + 1e-
The second ionization energy, I2, is the energy needed to remove the next (i.e. the second) electron from the atom
Na+(g) -> Na2+(g) + 1e-
The higher the value of the ionization energy, the more difficult it is to remove the electron
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Quality of writing
Punctuation, grammar and spelling all to a good level. The format of the essay is well set out with clear graphs.
Level of analysis
The candidate starts with a good definition of what an ionisation energy is. They give correct definitions of the different states of ionisation energy and good equations with state symbols. The definitions could be slightly better in chemical technical detail. The hypothesis are correct but the candidate should back them up with scientific theories and should link how ionisation energies relates to their investigation. The candidate does not account for the anomalies in the trends seen in the experiment which should be accounted for. The conclusions for each are adequate but the trends should be explained in more detail when they don't follow the general pattern.
Response to question
The candidate responds well to the question investigating a topic that is normally beyond GCSE level. The only problem is lack of scientific detail between explaining some of the trends seen in the graphs