Chemistry - PERIODIC TABLE Question with Solution | TestHub

To find the correct match for order (P) $x>y$ in column-III, we evaluate the pairs in column-II.

I) Mg ($x$) vs Al ($y$): Mg has a stable $3s^2$ configuration, whereas Al has $3s^{2}3p^1$. It is harder to remove an electron from a fully filled subshell, so $I{E}_{Mg}>I{E}_{Al}$ ($x>y$). The factor influencing this is the Penetration power (4) or electronic configuration stability. Checking the options, (D) matches (4) (I), confirming that the higher penetration/stability of the $s$-orbital in Magnesium leads to a higher ionization energy than Aluminum.