n = \(\alpha\) 0.06eV E=3 -1.6eV E=2 -3.7eV E=1 -5.5eV E=0 -10.4eV The energy levels in the mercury atom is illustrated in the table above. Calculate the io...

The ionization energy of an atom is the minimum amount of energy required to completely remove an electron from the atom, resulting in the formation of a positively charged ion. In the table above, the energy level of the ground state of mercury is -10.4eV, which means that it would require at least +10.4eV of energy to completely remove an electron from the atom. To calculate the ionization energy, we need to find the difference between the energy level of the highest occupied electron (in this case, n = alpha) and the energy level of the ground state (n=0), which can be expressed as: ionization energy = energy of highest occupied level - energy of ground state Using the values given in the table, we get: ionization energy = 0.06eV - (-10.4eV) = 10.46eV Therefore, the ionization energy of the mercury atom is approximately +10.46eV, which is closest to option B (+10.4eV).