Atomic Radius

a) Metallic radius
The metallic radius is defined as half the distance between the centres of two
adjacent atoms in the giant metallic structure.
b) Covalent structure
This is defined as half of the distance between the centre of the adjacent atoms
that are held together by a covalent bond.
d
Atomic radius = 2

-Atomic radius is affected by two factors. The nuclear charge and the screening effect.
-The nuclear charge refers to the actual number of the protons in the nucleus of an
atom. The more protons an atom has, the stronger is the attraction between the
nucleus and the electron cloud. This will cause the atomic radius to decrease.
Proton number increase, attraction stronger, atomic
radium decrease.

-The screening effect arises from two sources:

a) Repulsion between the electron shells
As electron shells are negatively charged, they tend to repel one another. As a
results. The more shells that are filled with electrons, the greater is the repulsion.
b)The shielding of outer electrons from the nucleus
As electron shells are negatively charged, the inner shell electrons can shield the
outer electrons from the actual pull of the nucleus.
The larger the screening effect, the weaker will be the attraction between the nucleus
and the electron clouds. The atomic radius increase.
Screening effect stronger, attraction weaker, atomic
radius increase.

Effective nuclear charge (no. of protons) (no. of inner electrons)

Atomic radius decrease across a period.

Going from sodium to argon, the number of protons and the number of electrons
increase. Nuclear charge increase, no much change in screening effect. A such, the
effective nuclear charge increases from +1 for sodium to +8 for argon. The outer
electron are being pull closer to the nucleus causing the atomic radium to decrease a
period.

Atomic radius increases down a group

Going down the group, the number of proton and electrons increases, the number of
electronic shells that is filled with electrons increases causing the increase in
screening effect, as a results the effective nuclear charge remain almost constant.
However, each atom has one extra electronic shell compared to the preceding ones.
As a results, attraction between the nucleus and electron clouds decreases, causing the
atomic radius to increase.
Summary :
Atomic radius decreases

Atomic radius increases

Elements

Melting/ Boiling Point/ Molar Enthalpy of Vaporisation

a) The melting point, boiling point and molar enthalpy of vaporisation of an
elements are a measure of the strength of the forces that hold the atoms/
molecules of the elements together.
b) Molar enthalpy of vaporisation is the amount of energy required to convert
one mole of a substance from the liquid state to vapour at the boiling point of
the substance.
c) The stronger the intermolecular force, the higher the melting. Boiling/ molar
enthalpy of vaporisation, as more energy is required to break or weaken the
intermolecular force.
Na

tructure

olecular Force

Property

Elements
Property

Mg

Al

Si

Cl

Giant metallic

Giant covalent

Simple covalent molecule

Metallic

Strong covalent

Weak Van der Waals force

Metal

Metalloid

Non-metal

Li

Be
Metal

Giant
covalent

Non-metal

Ne

Electrical Conductivity
a) Lithium and beryllium (Period 2) and sodium, magnesium and aluminium
(Period 3) are metals and are good electrical conductor because of the
presence of delocalised electrons in their metallic structure.
b) Boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine and neon (Period 2) and
phosphorus, sulphur, chlorine and argon (Period 3) all exist as simple
molecules, do not have delocalised electrons in its structure. They are all nonconductors.
c) Silicon is metalloid which is partial metallic character. Thus, its conductivity
is lower than metals but is higher than the non-metals. It is semi-conductor.

Electronegativity
a) Electronegativity is a measure of the ability of an atom to attract the bonding
electrons in a covalent bond to which the atom is bonded. It is a measure of
electron pulling power
b) The electronegativity of an stom depends on the atomic radius and the nuclear
charge. The smaller the atomic radius, the higher the nuclear charge, the
higher the electronegativity.
Electronegativity increase across a period.
Going across the period, the proton number increases, nuclear charge increases, the
effective nuclear charge increases, as a results the attraction increases causing the
increase in the electronegativity.
Electronegativity decrease down a group
Going down the group, the atomic radius increases while the effective nuclear charge
remains almost constant, this causing the decrease in the electronegativity.
Summary :
electronegativity increases

electronegativity decreases

Ionisation Energy
Ionisation energy is the minimum energy required to remove the most loosely held
electron from a neutral atom or ion per mole of the atom/ion under standard condition.
The magnitude of the ionisation depends on the size of the atom, the effective nuclear
charge and the type of electrons involved.
The smaller the size of the atom, the higher the effective nuclear charge, the more
strongly the electrons are bound by the nucleus, the higher the ionisation energy.
*More energy than expected is required to remove an electron from these stable
configuration : s2, p3, p6, d5, d10
Ionisation energy increase across the period
Decrease in the atomic radius and increase in the nuclear charge causing the electrons
to be held more strongly by the nucleus.
However, there is a reversal trend between the magnesium and aluminium and
between phosphorus and sulphur.
Mg: [Ar] 3s2
Al: [Ar] 3s2 3p1

P: [Ar] 3s2 3p3

S: [Ar] 3s2 3p4

Ionisation energy decrease down a group

The atomic radius increase but the effective nuclear charge remain almost
constant causing the attraction between the nucleus and electrons gets weaker,
the first ionisation energy decrease steadily down the group.