CWB Level 3 Practice Exam 2026 – Comprehensive Study Resource

Ionization potential is the energy required to remove one electron from a neutral atom in the gas phase. It’s a measure of how strongly the atom holds its electrons—the larger the value, the harder it is to pull an electron away. This quantity helps compare how tightly different atoms bind their outer electrons and follows trends across the periodic table (generally higher across a period, lower down a group). It’s not about size (atomic radius), nor about the energy change when adding an electron (electron affinity), nor about a nucleus property like nuclear spin.