Periodic Trends Flashcards: Atomic Radius, Ionization Energy & Electronegativity
Review 88 concise cards on atomic and ionic radius, shielding, effective nuclear charge, ionization energy, electron affinity, electronegativity, metallic character, exceptions, and comparisons.
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Periodic Trends Flashcards: Atomic Radius, Ionization Energy & Electronegativity
Study the core periodic trends with 88 independently written English flashcards for high-school and introductory-college chemistry. The deck separates broad patterns from the reasons behind them and uses generally where real configurations create exceptions.
What the cards practice
The sequence covers four useful recall paths: term to definition; table movement to a general property direction; cause to effect through shell number, shielding, distance, and effective nuclear charge; and a concrete pair or isoelectronic set to the expected comparison. Atomic and ionic radius, first and successive ionization energies, electron affinity, electronegativity, metallic character, and selected reactivity links are all included.
The course-level exceptions are deliberately small: Be versus B, Mg versus Al, N versus O, P versus S, and Cl versus F electron affinity. Electron-affinity wording distinguishes a favorable electron gain from the sign convention used by a source. Electronegativity stays tied to bonded atoms, and ionic-radius comparisons state when an isoelectronic rule applies.
Learning order
Definitions and table structure come first. General directions follow, then causal models, ion-size rules, successive-ionization reasoning, limited exceptions, and applied comparisons. Related prompts are spaced apart in a fixed order; the review scheduler handles longer-term interleaving after installation.
Scope
This deck teaches qualitative periodic-trend reasoning. It excludes exact numerical property tables, memorizing values for all 118 elements, advanced transition-metal irregularities, diagonal relationships, melting and boiling trends, broad group trivia, and copied examination or competitor material. It supports chemistry practice but does not replace calculation, laboratory, or full-course problem solving.
Sources and license
Core trends and explanations were checked against OpenStax Chemistry: Atoms First 2e, section 3.5 and its electronegativity discussion in section 4.2. Terminology was cross-checked against the IUPAC Gold Book entries for ionization energy, electron affinity, and electronegativity.
The prompts, answers, examples, organization, metadata, and generated cover were created independently from common chemistry knowledge and original work. No protected cards, textbook prose, source figures, exact property tables, logos, or third-party media were copied.
The Common knowledge · CC0 1.0 label applies only to the original prompts, answers, examples, organization, metadata, and cover, to the extent applicable rights exist. It does not claim ownership of scientific facts or third-party material.
Source review date: August 29, 2026.
Cartes de ce paquet
Carte 1
Question
What is a periodic trend?
Réponse
A recurring pattern in element properties as atomic number increases across periods and down groups.
Carte 2
Question
What does covalent radius measure?
Réponse
Half the distance between the nuclei of two identical atoms joined by a covalent bond.
Carte 3
Question
What is first ionization energy?
Réponse
The minimum energy needed to remove the most loosely bound electron from an isolated gaseous atom in its ground state.
Carte 4
Question
What is electronegativity?
Réponse
An atom's ability to attract shared electrons toward itself in a chemical bond.
Carte 5
Question
What is a period on the periodic table?
Réponse
A horizontal row. For main-group elements, moving across a period fills orbitals in the same principal electron shell.
Carte 6
Question
What is ionic radius?
Réponse
A measure of an ion's size, usually inferred from distances between ions in crystals.
Carte 7
Question
What does electron affinity describe?
Réponse
The energy change when an electron is added to an isolated gaseous atom to form a gaseous anion.
Carte 8
Question
What does metallic character describe?
Réponse
How readily an element shows metallic behavior, especially losing valence electrons and forming cations.
Carte 9
Question
What is a group on the periodic table?
Réponse
A vertical column. Main-group elements in one group usually share a valence-electron pattern and similar chemistry.
Carte 10
Question
What is effective nuclear charge?
Réponse
The net positive pull an electron feels from the nucleus after shielding and electron–electron repulsion are taken into account.
Carte 11
Question
What are successive ionization energies?
Réponse
The energies needed to remove electrons one after another from the same atom, then from its increasingly positive ions.
Carte 12
Question
How does electronegativity difference relate to bond polarity?
Réponse
A larger difference generally produces a more uneven electron distribution and a more polar bond.
Carte 13
Question
Why do main-group elements in one group often behave similarly?
Réponse
They have the same general number and arrangement of valence electrons, which drive much of their bonding and reactivity.
Carte 14
Question
What is electron shielding?
Réponse
The reduction in nuclear attraction felt by an electron because other electrons lie between it and the nucleus and repel it.
Carte 15
Question
Why does the definition of ionization energy specify a gaseous atom?
Réponse
It isolates the atom from bonding and intermolecular effects, so the energy reflects electron removal from that species itself.
Carte 16
Question
Where are metals and nonmetals generally found on the periodic table?
Réponse
Metals occupy the left and center; nonmetals cluster toward the upper right, with metalloids near the boundary.
Carte 17
Question
What changes in the electron arrangement across a main-group period?
Réponse
Electrons are added to the same principal shell while the nucleus gains one proton from one element to the next.
Carte 18
Question
How does atomic radius generally change from left to right across a period?
Réponse
It decreases.
Carte 19
Question
How does first ionization energy generally change from left to right across a period?
Réponse
It increases, although a few recurring subshell and electron-pairing exceptions interrupt the rise.
Carte 20
Question
How does electronegativity generally change from left to right across a period?
Réponse
It increases for the elements normally assigned electronegativity values.
Carte 21
Question
What changes in the electron arrangement down a main-group group?
Réponse
Each step adds a higher principal electron shell while preserving a similar valence-electron pattern.
Carte 22
Question
How does atomic radius generally change down a group?
Réponse
It increases.
Carte 23
Question
How does first ionization energy generally change down a group?
Réponse
It decreases.
Carte 24
Question
How does electronegativity generally change down a group?
Réponse
It decreases.
Carte 25
Question
How does effective nuclear charge generally change across a main-group period?
Réponse
It increases because nuclear charge rises while added electrons enter the same principal shell and do not fully shield one another.
Carte 26
Question
How does a cation's radius compare with its neutral parent atom?
Réponse
The cation is smaller.
Carte 27
Question
How does electron addition generally change across a period?
Réponse
It generally becomes more energetically favorable toward the right, but electron affinity has substantial exceptions and depends on the sign convention used.
Carte 28
Question
How does metallic character generally change from left to right across a period?
Réponse
It decreases.
Carte 29
Question
Why are valence electrons generally farther from the nucleus down a group?
Réponse
They occupy shells with higher principal quantum numbers, so the electron cloud extends farther outward.
Carte 30
Question
How does an anion's radius compare with its neutral parent atom?
Réponse
The anion is larger.
Carte 31
Question
How does favorable electron addition generally change down a group?
Réponse
It generally becomes less favorable as the added electron enters a larger, more shielded shell, though electron-affinity irregularities are common.
Carte 32
Question
How does metallic character generally change down a group?
Réponse
It increases.
Carte 33
Question
Why does shielding change less than nuclear charge across a main-group period?
Réponse
The added electrons enter the same principal shell, so they do not shield one another as effectively as inner-shell electrons do.
Carte 34
Question
Which has the larger atomic radius, Li or Na?
Réponse
Na. It lies below Li and has an additional occupied electron shell.
Carte 35
Question
Which has the larger atomic radius, Na or Mg?
Réponse
Na. Atomic radius generally decreases from left to right across Period 3.
Carte 36
Question
How does greater electron–nucleus distance affect electrostatic attraction?
Réponse
It weakens the attraction, all else being equal.
Carte 37
Question
How do successive ionization energies for one element compare?
Réponse
Each successive ionization energy is higher than the one before it because an electron is removed from an increasingly positive species.
Carte 38
Question
Which has the higher first ionization energy, Li or Na?
Réponse
Li. Its valence electron is closer to the nucleus and less shielded.
Carte 39
Question
Which has the higher first ionization energy, Na or Mg?
Réponse
Mg. Its greater effective nuclear charge holds the valence electrons more tightly.
Carte 40
Question
Why does forming a cation usually shrink an atom?
Réponse
Electron loss reduces electron–electron repulsion and increases the nuclear pull per remaining electron; losing the outer shell can shrink it sharply.
Carte 41
Question
Which element is most electronegative on the Pauling scale?
Réponse
Fluorine.
Carte 42
Question
Which is more electronegative, Li or Na?
Réponse
Li. Electronegativity generally decreases down Group 1.
Carte 43
Question
Which is more electronegative, Na or Mg?
Réponse
Mg. Electronegativity generally increases across Period 3.
Carte 44
Question
What does a large jump between successive ionization energies reveal?
Réponse
The next electron would come from a lower, core shell; the number removed before the jump indicates the valence-electron count for a main-group atom.
Carte 45
Question
Why is Cl⁻ larger than neutral Cl?
Réponse
The added electron increases repulsion within the valence shell while the nuclear charge stays the same.
Carte 46
Question
How do you compare the radii of isoelectronic species?
Réponse
The species with more protons is smaller because the same number of electrons feels a stronger nuclear attraction.
Carte 47
Question
Why does an atom have no single sharp physical radius?
Réponse
Its electron cloud has no hard edge, so atomic size depends on a defined measurement such as covalent, metallic, or van der Waals radius.
Carte 48
Question
Why are noble-gas electronegativities often omitted in introductory tables?
Réponse
Electronegativity describes attraction in a bond, and many noble gases form too few ordinary bonds for a standard value to be useful on common scales.
Carte 49
Question
Why does forming an anion usually expand an atom?
Réponse
The extra electron increases electron–electron repulsion and lowers the nuclear pull available per electron.
Carte 50
Question
Order O²⁻, F⁻, and Ne from largest to smallest radius.
Réponse
O²⁻ > F⁻ > Ne. All have 10 electrons, and increasing proton count pulls that electron cloud inward.
Carte 51
Question
After which removal does Na show its first large ionization-energy jump?
Réponse
After the first electron. Removing one valence electron leaves a stable core, so the second removal reaches that core.
Carte 52
Question
Does electronegativity difference create a universal ionic-versus-covalent cutoff?
Réponse
No. A larger difference usually means more bond polarity, but bonding lies on a continuum and context matters.
Carte 53
Question
How do noble gases generally differ from halogens in electron affinity?
Réponse
Adding an electron to a noble gas is generally unfavorable because it must begin a higher-energy shell; halogens usually gain one much more favorably.
Carte 54
Question
Which is smaller, Na⁺ or Mg²⁺?
Réponse
Mg²⁺. Both have 10 electrons, but Mg²⁺ has one more proton.
Carte 55
Question
After which removal does Mg show its first large ionization-energy jump?
Réponse
After the second electron. Mg has two valence electrons, so the third removal reaches a core shell.
Carte 56
Question
How does electronegativity differ from electron affinity?
Réponse
Electronegativity is a relative measure of attraction for shared electrons in a bond; electron affinity is an energy change for adding an electron to an isolated gaseous species.
Carte 57
Question
How are atomic radius and first ionization energy generally related?
Réponse
A larger radius usually means a lower first ionization energy because the valence electron is farther from the nucleus and easier to remove.
Carte 58
Question
Which has the more exothermic first electron affinity, F or Cl?
Réponse
Cl. Fluorine's very compact 2p shell creates stronger electron–electron repulsion for the incoming electron, so this pair breaks the simple down-group expectation.
Carte 59
Question
Which has the higher first ionization energy, Be or B?
Réponse
Be. B loses a higher-energy 2p electron, while Be loses a more penetrating 2s electron from a filled 2s subshell.
Carte 60
Question
Why does Group 1 metal reactivity generally increase down the group?
Réponse
The valence electron is farther out and more shielded, so its first ionization energy falls and electron loss becomes easier.
Carte 61
Question
How are atomic radius and electronegativity generally related?
Réponse
Smaller atoms usually attract bonding electrons more strongly, so electronegativity tends to rise as radius falls.
Carte 62
Question
Why is Na⁺ much smaller than neutral Na?
Réponse
Na loses its entire third-shell valence level, leaving the smaller neon-like electron configuration.
Carte 63
Question
Which has the higher first ionization energy, Mg or Al?
Réponse
Mg. Al's removed electron is a higher-energy 3p electron, while Mg loses a more penetrating 3s electron from a filled 3s subshell.
Carte 64
Question
Why does halogen reactivity generally decrease down Group 17?
Réponse
Larger radius and greater shielding weaken attraction for an incoming electron, so oxidizing ability generally falls. Particular reactions still depend on bond energies and conditions.
Carte 65
Question
Why do Groups 2 and 15 often interrupt the simple electron-affinity trend?
Réponse
Group 2 has a filled s subshell and Group 15 has a half-filled p subshell, so an added electron enters a less favorable arrangement.
Carte 66
Question
Can ion charge alone rank two unrelated ionic radii?
Réponse
No. Shell number, electron count, proton count, oxidation state, and crystal environment can all matter; the isoelectronic rule needs the same electron count.
Carte 67
Question
Which has the higher first ionization energy, N or O?
Réponse
N. Its half-filled 2p subshell is relatively stable; O has one paired 2p orbital, and repulsion makes one electron easier to remove.
Carte 68
Question
In which direction does nonmetallic character generally increase?
Réponse
Up and to the right, opposite the general trend in metallic character.
Carte 69
Question
Within the same principal shell, which penetrates closer to the nucleus: an s or p orbital?
Réponse
An s orbital. Greater penetration means its electrons are less shielded and usually lower in energy than p electrons in the same shell.
Carte 70
Question
How do same-charge ion radii generally change down a group?
Réponse
They increase as occupied electron shells are added.
Carte 71
Question
Which has the higher first ionization energy, P or S?
Réponse
P. Its half-filled 3p subshell is relatively stable; S contains a paired 3p orbital that increases repulsion and eases removal.
Carte 72
Question
Why should simple periodic-direction rules be used cautiously for transition metals?
Réponse
d-electron filling, shielding, oxidation state, and contraction effects make their property changes less regular than main-group trends.
Carte 73
Question
Why do periodic-trend statements usually say “generally”?
Réponse
Subshell energies, electron pairing, radius definitions, and element-specific configurations create real exceptions to the broad patterns.
Carte 74
Question
Which has the larger atomic radius, K or Br?
Réponse
K. Both are in Period 4, and atomic radius generally decreases from left to right.
Carte 75
Question
Which has the higher first ionization energy, Mg or Cl?
Réponse
Cl. Its valence electrons experience greater effective nuclear charge and are held more tightly.
Carte 76
Question
Which is more electronegative, Al or Si?
Réponse
Si. Electronegativity generally increases across Period 3.
Carte 77
Question
Which has the larger atomic radius, O or F?
Réponse
O. Atomic radius generally decreases across Period 2.
Carte 78
Question
Which has the higher first ionization energy, K or Br?
Réponse
Br. First ionization energy generally increases across Period 4.
Carte 79
Question
Which is more electronegative, Mg or Cl?
Réponse
Cl. It lies farther right in Period 3.
Carte 80
Question
Which has the larger atomic radius, Al or Si?
Réponse
Al. Atomic radius generally decreases across Period 3 as effective nuclear charge rises.
Carte 81
Question
Which has the higher first ionization energy, O or F?
Réponse
F. This pair follows the general increase across Period 2.
Carte 82
Question
Which is more electronegative, K or Br?
Réponse
Br. Electronegativity generally increases across Period 4.
Carte 83
Question
Which has the larger atomic radius, Mg or Cl?
Réponse
Mg. Both are in Period 3, and Mg lies farther left.
Carte 84
Question
Which has the higher first ionization energy, Al or Si?
Réponse
Si. This pair follows the general increase across Period 3.
Carte 85
Question
Which is more electronegative, O or F?
Réponse
F, the most electronegative element on the Pauling scale.
Carte 86
Question
Order Al³⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, Ne, F⁻, and O²⁻ from smallest to largest radius.
Réponse
Al³⁺ < Mg²⁺ < Na⁺ < Ne < F⁻ < O²⁻. All have 10 electrons, so radius grows as proton count falls.
Carte 87
Question
Why do upper-right nonmetals usually hold valence electrons tightly?
Réponse
Their relatively small radii and high effective nuclear charges create strong attraction between the nucleus and valence electrons.
Carte 88
Question
Across a main-group period, what shared cause links smaller radius, higher ionization energy, and higher electronegativity?
Réponse
Increasing effective nuclear charge pulls the same-shell valence electrons inward and holds them more strongly.
88 cartes
Periodic Trends Flashcards: Atomic Radius, Ionization Energy & Electronegativity
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