Question

Are the enthalpies of atomisation of Zinc and Copper matched correctly? Justify your answer.

Element	Enthalpy of atomisation/kJ mol−1
Zinc	339
Copper	130

Answer 1

No. The values are not matched correctly.

Explanation:

Zinc has a lower enthalpy of atomisation (~130 kJ mol⁻¹) because its configuration [Ar]3d¹⁰4s² has no unpaired electrons, resulting in weaker metallic bonding.

Copper has a higher enthalpy of atomisation (~339 kJ mol⁻¹) due to the presence of one unpaired electron in its 3d⁹4s¹ configuration, which leads to stronger metallic bonding.