Answer :
Final answer:
b) $24.6$ eV
The energy required to remove the first electron from a helium atom is 24.6 electron volts (eV), making option b) 24.6 eV the correct answer. This relates to the concept of ionization energy in chemistry.
Explanation:
The question relates to the concept of ionization energy, specifically the energy required to remove the first electron from a helium atom. Energy of 24.6 electron volts (eV) is needed for the ionization of the first electron in a helium atom. The experimental value for this first ionization energy is 24.59 eV, and the energy required to remove the second electron (second ionization energy) from the resulting He+ ion, a hydrogen-like ion, is 54.42 eV.
Given the information, the correct answer to the energy required to remove the first electron from a helium atom is b) 24.6 eV. Option a) 49.2 eV is incorrect because it is higher than the second ionization energy. Option c) 12.3 eV is not enough energy for the first ionization. Option d) 36.9 eV does not match any ionization energy mentioned. The ionization of the He+ ion, which has only one electron, correctly predicts the experimental values, illustrating the difference between single-electron systems and multi-electron systems like neutral helium, where electron-electron interactions are present.