Ionization energy The sciences of physics and chemistry use different measures of ionization energy. In physics, the unit is the amount of energy required to remove a single electron from a single atom or molecule, expressed as electronvolts. In chemistry, the unit is the amount of energy required for all of the atoms in a mole of substance to lose one electron each: molar ionization energy or enthalpy, expressed as kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol) or kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol). Comparison of "E" of elements in the periodic table reveals two periodic trends: The latter trend results from the outer electron shell being
Internal energy density called "specific internal energy" which is internal energy per unit of mass (kilogram) of the system in question. The SI unit of specific internal energy is J/kg. If the specific internal energy is expressed relative to units of amount of substance (mol), then it is referred to as "molar internal energy" and the unit is J/mol. From the standpoint of statistical mechanics, the internal energy is equal to the ensemble average of the sum of the microscopic kinetic and potential energies of the system. The internal energy, , expresses the thermodynamics of a system in the "energy-language", or in