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.
Про цю колоду
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.
Картки в цій колоді
Картка 1
Питання
What is a periodic trend?
Відповідь
A recurring pattern in element properties as atomic number increases across periods and down groups.
Картка 2
Питання
What does covalent radius measure?
Відповідь
Half the distance between the nuclei of two identical atoms joined by a covalent bond.
Картка 3
Питання
What is first ionization energy?
Відповідь
The minimum energy needed to remove the most loosely bound electron from an isolated gaseous atom in its ground state.
Картка 4
Питання
What is electronegativity?
Відповідь
An atom's ability to attract shared electrons toward itself in a chemical bond.
Картка 5
Питання
What is a period on the periodic table?
Відповідь
A horizontal row. For main-group elements, moving across a period fills orbitals in the same principal electron shell.
Картка 6
Питання
What is ionic radius?
Відповідь
A measure of an ion's size, usually inferred from distances between ions in crystals.
Картка 7
Питання
What does electron affinity describe?
Відповідь
The energy change when an electron is added to an isolated gaseous atom to form a gaseous anion.
Картка 8
Питання
What does metallic character describe?
Відповідь
How readily an element shows metallic behavior, especially losing valence electrons and forming cations.
Картка 9
Питання
What is a group on the periodic table?
Відповідь
A vertical column. Main-group elements in one group usually share a valence-electron pattern and similar chemistry.
Картка 10
Питання
What is effective nuclear charge?
Відповідь
The net positive pull an electron feels from the nucleus after shielding and electron–electron repulsion are taken into account.
Картка 11
Питання
What are successive ionization energies?
Відповідь
The energies needed to remove electrons one after another from the same atom, then from its increasingly positive ions.
Картка 12
Питання
How does electronegativity difference relate to bond polarity?
Відповідь
A larger difference generally produces a more uneven electron distribution and a more polar bond.
Картка 13
Питання
Why do main-group elements in one group often behave similarly?
Відповідь
They have the same general number and arrangement of valence electrons, which drive much of their bonding and reactivity.
Картка 14
Питання
What is electron shielding?
Відповідь
The reduction in nuclear attraction felt by an electron because other electrons lie between it and the nucleus and repel it.
Картка 15
Питання
Why does the definition of ionization energy specify a gaseous atom?
Відповідь
It isolates the atom from bonding and intermolecular effects, so the energy reflects electron removal from that species itself.
Картка 16
Питання
Where are metals and nonmetals generally found on the periodic table?
Відповідь
Metals occupy the left and center; nonmetals cluster toward the upper right, with metalloids near the boundary.
Картка 17
Питання
What changes in the electron arrangement across a main-group period?
Відповідь
Electrons are added to the same principal shell while the nucleus gains one proton from one element to the next.
Картка 18
Питання
How does atomic radius generally change from left to right across a period?
Відповідь
It decreases.
Картка 19
Питання
How does first ionization energy generally change from left to right across a period?
Відповідь
It increases, although a few recurring subshell and electron-pairing exceptions interrupt the rise.
Картка 20
Питання
How does electronegativity generally change from left to right across a period?
Відповідь
It increases for the elements normally assigned electronegativity values.
Картка 21
Питання
What changes in the electron arrangement down a main-group group?
Відповідь
Each step adds a higher principal electron shell while preserving a similar valence-electron pattern.
Картка 22
Питання
How does atomic radius generally change down a group?
Відповідь
It increases.
Картка 23
Питання
How does first ionization energy generally change down a group?
Відповідь
It decreases.
Картка 24
Питання
How does electronegativity generally change down a group?
Відповідь
It decreases.
Картка 25
Питання
How does effective nuclear charge generally change across a main-group period?
Відповідь
It increases because nuclear charge rises while added electrons enter the same principal shell and do not fully shield one another.
Картка 26
Питання
How does a cation's radius compare with its neutral parent atom?
Відповідь
The cation is smaller.
Картка 27
Питання
How does electron addition generally change across a period?
Відповідь
It generally becomes more energetically favorable toward the right, but electron affinity has substantial exceptions and depends on the sign convention used.
Картка 28
Питання
How does metallic character generally change from left to right across a period?
Відповідь
It decreases.
Картка 29
Питання
Why are valence electrons generally farther from the nucleus down a group?
Відповідь
They occupy shells with higher principal quantum numbers, so the electron cloud extends farther outward.
Картка 30
Питання
How does an anion's radius compare with its neutral parent atom?
Відповідь
The anion is larger.
Картка 31
Питання
How does favorable electron addition generally change down a group?
Відповідь
It generally becomes less favorable as the added electron enters a larger, more shielded shell, though electron-affinity irregularities are common.
Картка 32
Питання
How does metallic character generally change down a group?
Відповідь
It increases.
Картка 33
Питання
Why does shielding change less than nuclear charge across a main-group period?
Відповідь
The added electrons enter the same principal shell, so they do not shield one another as effectively as inner-shell electrons do.
Картка 34
Питання
Which has the larger atomic radius, Li or Na?
Відповідь
Na. It lies below Li and has an additional occupied electron shell.
Картка 35
Питання
Which has the larger atomic radius, Na or Mg?
Відповідь
Na. Atomic radius generally decreases from left to right across Period 3.
Картка 36
Питання
How does greater electron–nucleus distance affect electrostatic attraction?
Відповідь
It weakens the attraction, all else being equal.
Картка 37
Питання
How do successive ionization energies for one element compare?
Відповідь
Each successive ionization energy is higher than the one before it because an electron is removed from an increasingly positive species.
Картка 38
Питання
Which has the higher first ionization energy, Li or Na?
Відповідь
Li. Its valence electron is closer to the nucleus and less shielded.
Картка 39
Питання
Which has the higher first ionization energy, Na or Mg?
Відповідь
Mg. Its greater effective nuclear charge holds the valence electrons more tightly.
Картка 40
Питання
Why does forming a cation usually shrink an atom?
Відповідь
Electron loss reduces electron–electron repulsion and increases the nuclear pull per remaining electron; losing the outer shell can shrink it sharply.
Картка 41
Питання
Which element is most electronegative on the Pauling scale?
Відповідь
Fluorine.
Картка 42
Питання
Which is more electronegative, Li or Na?
Відповідь
Li. Electronegativity generally decreases down Group 1.
Картка 43
Питання
Which is more electronegative, Na or Mg?
Відповідь
Mg. Electronegativity generally increases across Period 3.
Картка 44
Питання
What does a large jump between successive ionization energies reveal?
Відповідь
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.
Картка 45
Питання
Why is Cl⁻ larger than neutral Cl?
Відповідь
The added electron increases repulsion within the valence shell while the nuclear charge stays the same.
Картка 46
Питання
How do you compare the radii of isoelectronic species?
Відповідь
The species with more protons is smaller because the same number of electrons feels a stronger nuclear attraction.
Картка 47
Питання
Why does an atom have no single sharp physical radius?
Відповідь
Its electron cloud has no hard edge, so atomic size depends on a defined measurement such as covalent, metallic, or van der Waals radius.
Картка 48
Питання
Why are noble-gas electronegativities often omitted in introductory tables?
Відповідь
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.
Картка 49
Питання
Why does forming an anion usually expand an atom?
Відповідь
The extra electron increases electron–electron repulsion and lowers the nuclear pull available per electron.
Картка 50
Питання
Order O²⁻, F⁻, and Ne from largest to smallest radius.
Відповідь
O²⁻ > F⁻ > Ne. All have 10 electrons, and increasing proton count pulls that electron cloud inward.
Картка 51
Питання
After which removal does Na show its first large ionization-energy jump?
Відповідь
After the first electron. Removing one valence electron leaves a stable core, so the second removal reaches that core.
Картка 52
Питання
Does electronegativity difference create a universal ionic-versus-covalent cutoff?
Відповідь
No. A larger difference usually means more bond polarity, but bonding lies on a continuum and context matters.
Картка 53
Питання
How do noble gases generally differ from halogens in electron affinity?
Відповідь
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.
Картка 54
Питання
Which is smaller, Na⁺ or Mg²⁺?
Відповідь
Mg²⁺. Both have 10 electrons, but Mg²⁺ has one more proton.
Картка 55
Питання
After which removal does Mg show its first large ionization-energy jump?
Відповідь
After the second electron. Mg has two valence electrons, so the third removal reaches a core shell.
Картка 56
Питання
How does electronegativity differ from electron affinity?
Відповідь
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.
Картка 57
Питання
How are atomic radius and first ionization energy generally related?
Відповідь
A larger radius usually means a lower first ionization energy because the valence electron is farther from the nucleus and easier to remove.
Картка 58
Питання
Which has the more exothermic first electron affinity, F or Cl?
Відповідь
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.
Картка 59
Питання
Which has the higher first ionization energy, Be or B?
Відповідь
Be. B loses a higher-energy 2p electron, while Be loses a more penetrating 2s electron from a filled 2s subshell.
Картка 60
Питання
Why does Group 1 metal reactivity generally increase down the group?
Відповідь
The valence electron is farther out and more shielded, so its first ionization energy falls and electron loss becomes easier.
Картка 61
Питання
How are atomic radius and electronegativity generally related?
Відповідь
Smaller atoms usually attract bonding electrons more strongly, so electronegativity tends to rise as radius falls.
Картка 62
Питання
Why is Na⁺ much smaller than neutral Na?
Відповідь
Na loses its entire third-shell valence level, leaving the smaller neon-like electron configuration.
Картка 63
Питання
Which has the higher first ionization energy, Mg or Al?
Відповідь
Mg. Al's removed electron is a higher-energy 3p electron, while Mg loses a more penetrating 3s electron from a filled 3s subshell.
Картка 64
Питання
Why does halogen reactivity generally decrease down Group 17?
Відповідь
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.
Картка 65
Питання
Why do Groups 2 and 15 often interrupt the simple electron-affinity trend?
Відповідь
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.
Картка 66
Питання
Can ion charge alone rank two unrelated ionic radii?
Відповідь
No. Shell number, electron count, proton count, oxidation state, and crystal environment can all matter; the isoelectronic rule needs the same electron count.
Картка 67
Питання
Which has the higher first ionization energy, N or O?
Відповідь
N. Its half-filled 2p subshell is relatively stable; O has one paired 2p orbital, and repulsion makes one electron easier to remove.
Картка 68
Питання
In which direction does nonmetallic character generally increase?
Відповідь
Up and to the right, opposite the general trend in metallic character.
Картка 69
Питання
Within the same principal shell, which penetrates closer to the nucleus: an s or p orbital?
Відповідь
An s orbital. Greater penetration means its electrons are less shielded and usually lower in energy than p electrons in the same shell.
Картка 70
Питання
How do same-charge ion radii generally change down a group?
Відповідь
They increase as occupied electron shells are added.
Картка 71
Питання
Which has the higher first ionization energy, P or S?
Відповідь
P. Its half-filled 3p subshell is relatively stable; S contains a paired 3p orbital that increases repulsion and eases removal.
Картка 72
Питання
Why should simple periodic-direction rules be used cautiously for transition metals?
Відповідь
d-electron filling, shielding, oxidation state, and contraction effects make their property changes less regular than main-group trends.
Картка 73
Питання
Why do periodic-trend statements usually say “generally”?
Відповідь
Subshell energies, electron pairing, radius definitions, and element-specific configurations create real exceptions to the broad patterns.
Картка 74
Питання
Which has the larger atomic radius, K or Br?
Відповідь
K. Both are in Period 4, and atomic radius generally decreases from left to right.
Картка 75
Питання
Which has the higher first ionization energy, Mg or Cl?
Відповідь
Cl. Its valence electrons experience greater effective nuclear charge and are held more tightly.
Картка 76
Питання
Which is more electronegative, Al or Si?
Відповідь
Si. Electronegativity generally increases across Period 3.
Картка 77
Питання
Which has the larger atomic radius, O or F?
Відповідь
O. Atomic radius generally decreases across Period 2.
Картка 78
Питання
Which has the higher first ionization energy, K or Br?
Відповідь
Br. First ionization energy generally increases across Period 4.
Картка 79
Питання
Which is more electronegative, Mg or Cl?
Відповідь
Cl. It lies farther right in Period 3.
Картка 80
Питання
Which has the larger atomic radius, Al or Si?
Відповідь
Al. Atomic radius generally decreases across Period 3 as effective nuclear charge rises.
Картка 81
Питання
Which has the higher first ionization energy, O or F?
Відповідь
F. This pair follows the general increase across Period 2.
Картка 82
Питання
Which is more electronegative, K or Br?
Відповідь
Br. Electronegativity generally increases across Period 4.
Картка 83
Питання
Which has the larger atomic radius, Mg or Cl?
Відповідь
Mg. Both are in Period 3, and Mg lies farther left.
Картка 84
Питання
Which has the higher first ionization energy, Al or Si?
Відповідь
Si. This pair follows the general increase across Period 3.
Картка 85
Питання
Which is more electronegative, O or F?
Відповідь
F, the most electronegative element on the Pauling scale.
Картка 86
Питання
Order Al³⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, Ne, F⁻, and O²⁻ from smallest to largest radius.
Відповідь
Al³⁺ < Mg²⁺ < Na⁺ < Ne < F⁻ < O²⁻. All have 10 electrons, so radius grows as proton count falls.
Картка 87
Питання
Why do upper-right nonmetals usually hold valence electrons tightly?
Відповідь
Their relatively small radii and high effective nuclear charges create strong attraction between the nucleus and valence electrons.
Картка 88
Питання
Across a main-group period, what shared cause links smaller radius, higher ionization energy, and higher electronegativity?
Відповідь
Increasing effective nuclear charge pulls the same-shell valence electrons inward and holds them more strongly.
88 карток
Periodic Trends Flashcards: Atomic Radius, Ionization Energy & Electronegativity
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