factors affecting Ionisation energies

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Factors affecting Ionisation Energies

There are 3 major factors :

Atomic Radius -

the greater the atomic radius the smaller the nuclear attraction experienced by the outer electrons

Nuclear Charge

The greater the nuclear charge the greater the force on the outer electron

Electron Shielding/Screening

Inner shells of electrons repel the outer shells

The more inner shells there are the larger the shielding effect and therefore the smaller nuclear attraction experienced by the outer electrons.