Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion \(A\) and the other is labelled as Reason \(R\)

Assertion A: The energy required to form \(Mg^{2+}\) from \(Mg\) is much higher than that required to produce \(Mg^+\)

Reason R:  \(Mg^{2+}\)is small ion and carry more charge than \(Mg^+\)

In light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below.

Both \(A\) and \(R\) are correct and \(R\) is the correct explanation of \(A\)

The correct answer is 1. Both \(A\) and \(R\) are correct and \(R\) is the correct explanation of \(A\).

Assertion A: The energy required to form \(Mg^{2+}\) from \(Mg\) is much higher than that required to produce \(Mg^+\).
This assertion is true. When magnesium (\(Mg\)) loses electrons to form ions, it goes through different ionization steps. To form \(Mg^{2+}\), two electrons are removed, which requires more energy compared to forming \(Mg^+\) where only one electron is removed. The process of removing each successive electron generally requires more energy because the remaining electrons are more tightly bound to the nucleus.

Reason R: \(Mg^{2+}\) is a small ion and carries more charge than \(Mg^+\).
This reason is also true. When magnesium loses electrons to form ions, it undergoes a reduction in size. \(Mg^{2+}\) is smaller than \(Mg^+\) because it has lost two electrons instead of one. The smaller size of \(Mg^{2+}\) means that its outer electrons are more strongly attracted to the nucleus due to the higher effective nuclear charge (more protons relative to electrons), making it more difficult to remove additional electrons.

Now, the reason \(R\) is the correct explanation of assertion \(A\) because it provides insight into why the energy required to form \(Mg^{2+}\) is much higher than that required to produce \(Mg^+\). The smaller size and higher charge of \(Mg^{2+}\) contribute to a stronger attraction between the remaining electrons and the nucleus, making it energetically more demanding to remove electrons and form \(Mg^{2+}\).