How much energy is required to remove an electron from a cation with a +1 charge?

To understand why the correct choice is that more energy is required to remove an electron from a cation with a +1 charge, it’s essential to consider the concepts of ionization energy and the stability of ions.

A cation is formed when an atom loses one or more electrons, resulting in a positive charge. In the case of a cation with a +1 charge, this means that the atom has already lost one electron and what remains is a positively charged ion. When attempting to remove an additional electron, you are working against the attractive forces between the positively charged nucleus and the electrons that are left.

The ionization energy, which is the energy required to remove an electron from an atom or ion, increases with the increasing positive charge of the ion. This is because the effective nuclear charge that the remaining electrons experience becomes greater when there are fewer electrons to shield them from the nucleus. Consequently, the electrons are held more tightly due to the higher positive charge from the nucleus, requiring more energy to overcome this attraction.

Thus, to remove an electron from a cation with a +1 charge, more energy is needed than would be required to remove an electron from a neutral atom, leading to the conclusion that the energy requirement is indeed greater.