Secondary IV • 3yr.
How do the different characteristics of the elements change in the periodic table?
How do the different characteristics of the elements change in the periodic table?
Explanation from Alloprof
This Explanation was submitted by a member of the Alloprof team.
Good morning FairTangerines,
Thanks for the question!
The different properties of the elements of the periodic table evolve in different ways, but always periodically.
• The atomic mass increases by going down a period (from left to right) and going down a family (from top to bottom). Thus, the element with the greatest atomic mass will tend to be at the bottom right.
• The atomic radius increases by going up a period (from right to left) and going down a family (from top to bottom). Thus, the element with the largest atomic radius will tend to be at the bottom left.
• Electronegativity increases by going down a period (from left to right) and by going up a family (from bottom to top). Thus, the element with the greatest electronegativity will tend to be at the top right.
• Ionization energy increases by going down a period (from left to right) and going up a family (from bottom to top). So the element with the greatest ionization energy will tend to be at the top right.
The periodic table shows these trends. Its organization is therefore not random at all.
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-Marilee