The Trend of Metallic Character in the Periodic Table
What is the trend of metallic character in the periodic table?
Does metallic character increase, decrease, or remain unchanged as one goes from left to right across a row of the periodic table?
Does metallic character increase, decrease, or remain unchanged as one goes down a column of the periodic table?
Are the periodic trends in the trend of metallic character the same as or different from those for first ionization energy?
Answer:
Metallic character increases down a group and decreases across a period in the periodic table.
Metallic character refers to the ability of an element to lose electrons and form positive ions. In general, metallic character increases as you move down a group in the periodic table. This is because the number of electron shells or energy levels increases, making it easier for the outermost electrons to be lost.
Conversely, metallic character decreases as you move from left to right across a period in the periodic table. This is because the effective nuclear charge increases, pulling the outermost electrons closer to the nucleus and making it more difficult for them to be removed.
The trend in metallic character is opposite to that of first ionization energy, which is the energy required to remove the outermost electron from an atom. First ionization energy generally increases from left to right across a period and decreases down a group.
Understanding the trends in metallic character and first ionization energy is crucial for predicting the chemical properties of elements and their behavior in chemical reactions.