Inorganic I - Periodicity Flashcards
What happens to the atomic radius along a period?
It decreases due to a greater nuclear charge with the same number of electron shells.
What happens to the atomic radius down a group?
It increases as the number of electron shells increases, shielding increases and nuclear charge stays the same.
What happens to ionisation energy across a period?
It increases, as the decreasing atomic radius and decreasing nuclear charge means the outer electrons are held more strongly.
What happens to ionisation energy down the group?
It decreases as nuclear charge stays the same, and atomic radius and shielding increase.
What are the trends in the melting points of sodium, magnesium and aluminium?
They increase due to greater positive charged ions, as they are metallically bonded.
What is the melting point of silicon?
It has a very high melting point as it has a very strong covalent structure.
What are the trends in the melting points of phosphorus, sulphur and chlorine?
They are simple covalent molecules held together by van der waals forces. This means they have relatively low, similar melting points.
What is the melting point of argon?
Argon is a noble gas that is very stable and therefore has a very low melting point.
