Chemistry for Engineering

TRENDS IN THE PERIODIC TABLE

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this session, the student should be able to:

1. Identify the trends of properties of elements in the

periodic table.
2. Arrange different elements according to the size of their
atomic and ionic radii.
3. Arrange elements according to their ionization energies.
4. Arrange elements according to their electronegativity.
5. Determine the strength and type of a bond.

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Trends in
periodic
table

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Atomic radius
Ionic radius
Ionization energy
electronegativity
Type of bond

THE ATOMIC RADIUS

The electron cloud surrounding the nucleus
does not have a sharp boundary.

The atomic size is considered as the volume

containing about 90 % of the total electron
density around the nucleus.
The atomic radius is one-half the distance
between the two nuclei in two adjacent metal
atoms or in a diatomic molecule.
Examples:
For Cuo in copper metal, r=0.128 nm
For Cl2, r= 0.099 nm.

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ATOMIC RADII (in pm) OF REPRESENTATIVE ELEMENTS

(same trend for ionic radii).

1. In the same period, the effective nuclear charge increases from left to right the
added valence electron at each step is more strongly attracted by the nucleus than the
one before, so the radii decrease from left to right.
2. In the same group, the size increases with increasing number of electron orbtits
radius increases from top to bottom.
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ATOM ION
cation

anion
e-

Removing 1 or more from an

atom reduces electron-electron
repulsion but the nuclear charge
(p+) remains the same, so the ecloud shrinks
the cation is smaller than its
corresponding atom.
Na+

(0.095 nm) vs.

Nao (0.186

nm)

Gaining 1 or more eincreases the radius, because

the nuclear charge (p+)
remains the same but the
repulsion resulting from the
additional e- enlarges the
domain of the electron cloud.

The anion is larger than its

corresponding atom
Cl- (0.181 nm) vs , Clo (0.099nm)

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Test yourself
Arrange the following sets of atoms and ions in order of
increasing size using the periodic table
1. Mg, Al, Ca.
2. S, Cl, S23. Fe, Fe2+, Fe3+
1.
2.
3.

Comparison with reference to Mg: Al is to the right to Mg, thus smaller

than Mg. Ca is below Mg, thus larger. The order is Al < Mg < Ca.
Comparison with reference to S atom: Cl is to the right to S, thus is
smaller. The S2- anion is larger than the S atom. The order is Cl <S < S2-.
Comparison with reference to Fe2+ ion: Feo atom is neutral and thus is
larger than its cations. The Fe3+ ion is charged by loss of 3 e- while Fe2+ is
charged due to loss of 2 e-. The order is Fe3+< Fe2+< Fe.

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IONIZATION ENERGY (IE)

Ionization energy is the minimum
energy (in kJ/mol) required to remove
an electron from a gaseous atom in its
ground state.
X + energy X+ + 1 e-

The 1st ionization energy (endothermic

process = requires E) is the E change for
the removal of the outermost e- from a
gaseous atom to form a +1 ion. The
more difficult it is to remove e-, the
larger the ionization energy.
2nd and 3rd IE (to remove a 2nd and a 3rd
e-) are certainly more difficult due to
the increasing attraction exerted by the
nucleus at every loss of 1 e- after the
other.
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Why IE decreases as we go
down a group?
A
greater
separation
between the e- and the
nucleus = weaker attraction.
8

ELECTRON DISTRIBUTION IN AN ATOM

nucleus
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THE ELECTRONIC CONFIGURATION OF

ELEMENTS
(only outer shell level of electrons is represented)

THE CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF ANY ATOM

ARE DETERMINED BY THE CONFIGURATION
OF THE ATOMS VALENCE ELECTRONS.

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EXCEPTIONS TO TREND OF IE (1st exception)

between Group 2A and 3A elements in the same period
Ex: Be vs. B and Mg vs. Al.
IE of 3A < 2A in the same
period.
because they all have a single ein the outermost p subshell ( ns2
np1 ), which is well shielded by
the inner e- and the ns2 e-.
less energy is needed to
remove a single p e- than to
remove an s e- from the same
energy level.

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EXCEPTIONS TO TREND OF IE (2nd exception)

between Groups 5A and 6A elements in the same period
ex: N vs. O and P vs. S
IE of 6A < 5A in the same period.
In 5A ( ns2 np3 ), the p e- are in 3
separate orbitals while in 6A ( ns2 np4),
the additional e- is paired with 1 of the 3
p e- The proximity of two e- in the
same orbital leads to high electrostatic
repulsion, which makes it easier to
ionize an atom of the Group 6A element,
even though the nuclear charge has
increased by one unit.

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Test yourself
Complete:
1. Ionization energy (IE) a.across the periodic table
from left to right and b.. moving down the periodic
table.
2. Comparing the trends of ionic radii and ionization energy it is
clear that there is an c. correlation between them.
3. The d.. the atom, the more tightly its electrons are
held to the positively charged nucleus and the more difficult
they are to remove thus the e.. the ionization energy.
4. In a f atom (ex: group I, period 5), the electron is
relatively far from the nucleus, so the lower its g..
to remove it from the atom.
Answers:
a) increases, b) decreases, c) inverse, d) smaller, e) larger, f) large, g) ionization.
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Test yourself
Which atom with following electron configurations has the
largest first ionization energy, explain your choice.
1s22s22p6

1s22s22p63s1

1s22s22p63s2

The atom with the largest value of IE is 1s22s22p6 (this is a Ne),

because it is found at the right end of period 2, and the IE
increases from left to right in the same period of the periodic
table.
As for the other 2 configurations including 3s electrons they will
be of lower IE because it is easier to loose e- from an incomplete
shell.

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ELECTRONEGATIVITY (ELECTRON AFFINITY)

Electron affinity is the energy change that occurs when an e- is accepted by
an atom in the gaseous state to form an anion.
X(g) + e- X-(g)
Electronegativity increases from left to right in the periodic table and vary
little within a given group. The halogens (Group 7A) have the highest
electronegativity.
In a covalent bond, the more electronegative the atom, the more it attracts
the shared e- towards it resulting in unfair sharing polarization of the bond
with the most electronegative acquiring a partial negative charge -- vs. a +
on the least electronegative.

IONIC BOND by full e- transfer

from the least to the most
electronegative (i.e. large
difference in electronegativity)
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COVALENT BOND between

identical atoms, i.e. no
difference in electronegativity
(NON POLARIZED)

COVALENT BOND (POLARIZED,

i.e. some difference in
electronegativity)15

Test yourself
Order the following bonds according to bond polarity

H-H, S-H, Cl-H, O-H, and F-H

(2.1) (2.1)
(2.5)(2.1)
(3.0)(2.1)
(3.5)(2.1)
0
0.4
0.9
1.4
Thus the order is
H-H < S-H
<
Cl-H
<
O-H
<
Non polar covalent bond Polar covalent bond

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(4.0)(2.1)
1.9

F-H

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REFERENCES
1. Chemistry, 10th ed., Raymond Chang, ISBN 978-007-017264-7, McGraw Hill. Chapter 8.
2. Lecture 2 by Prof. Rasha Elnashar, GUC, WS 2013.

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