Explanation:

The ionization energy is the energy required to remove an electron from an atom or ion in the gaseous state. It is a measure of how tightly an electron is held by the nucleus of an atom. When an electron is removed from an atom, it requires energy to overcome the attractive force between the electron and the nucleus. Therefore, the ionization energy is always positive.

Reasoning:

Ionization energy is always positive because it represents the energy needed to remove an electron from an atom. The energy required to remove an electron from an atom is always greater than or equal to zero, as it takes energy to overcome the attractive forces between the negatively charged electron and the positively charged nucleus.

Example:

Let's consider the example of the ionization energy of hydrogen. The ionization energy of hydrogen is 1312 kJ/mol. This means that it takes 1312 kJ of energy to remove one mole of electrons from one mole of hydrogen atoms. Since this energy is required to overcome the attractive forces between the electron and the nucleus, it is always positive.

Significance:

The sign of the ionization energy is important because it indicates the stability of an atom or ion. Higher ionization energies indicate greater stability, as more energy is required to remove an electron. In contrast, lower ionization energies indicate less stability, as less energy is required to remove an electron.

Therefore, the statement that ionization energies are always positive is true.