Trends in the Periodic Table

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to trends in the periodic table and atomic interactions.

Valence Electrons

Electrons that occupy the outermost energy level of an atom.

Chemical Bonding

Occurs when one atom joins another by gaining, losing, or sharing electrons.

Noble Gases

Elements that are non-reactive because their atoms do not gain, lose, or share electrons.

Reactivity Trend

The closer an element is to the right side of the periodic table, the more reactive it is.

Groups 1-17

Atoms in these groups can achieve a full outer energy level.

Energy Shells

Greater number of these generally correlates with larger atomic radius.

Octet Rule

The tendency of atoms to prefer to have eight electrons in their valence shell through chemical bonding.

Ionic Bond

A type of chemical bond formed by the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions, usually involving the transfer of electrons.

Covalent Bond

A type of chemical bond formed by the sharing of electron pairs between atoms.