Which of the following elements requires the most energy to remove its most tightly held electron (the electron closest to the nucleus): Magnesium (Mg, 12); Aluminum (Al, 13); Silicon (Si, 14); Phosphorus (P, 15); Sulfur (S, 16)
(a) Mg
(b) Al
(c) Si
(d) P
(e) S
Answer: (e) S