How would you define and explain periodic trends?
Answers
A periodic trend is a regular variation the properties of an element with increasing atomic number. A periodic trend is attributed to regular variations in the atomic structure of each element.
The four primary periodic trends I can think of are :
- atomic radius
- ionization energy
- electron affinity/electronegativity
- metallic character
The atomic radius of an element is, for general purposes, the distance from the center of the atom's nucleus to the outermost space occupied by electrons in the "electron cloud".
The ionization energy of an element is the amount of energy required to remove the most loosely-bound electron from an isolated ("gaseous") neutral atom.
The electronegativity of an element is a measure of how likely, when in a bond with another atom, that atom will "pull" the bonding electrons toward itself.
The electron affinity of an element is the energy change associated with the addition of an electron; i.e. it is also a measure of the ability of an atom to attract electrons to itself.
The metallic character of an element is typically defined as how much the atom behaves like metal in the sense that they tend to lose electrons to form cations.
HOPE THIS HELPS U!!!!!!!!!!