Question

Potassium is more metallic than sodium because(a) both have 1 electron in their outermost shell(b) both are highly electropositive.(c) sodium is larger in size than potassium.(d) potassium is larger in size than sodium.

Answer 1

(d) potassium is larger in size than sodium. is the answer.

Explanation :

The metallic character of an element can be defined as how readily an atom can lose an electron.

Metallic character increases as one move down a group because the atomic size is increasing. When the atomic size increases, the outer shells are farther away. The principal quantum number increases and average electron density moves farther from nucleus. The electrons of the valence shell have less attraction to the nucleus and, as a result, can lose electrons more readily. This causes an increase in metallic character.