Week 11: Pre-class videos

Effective nuclear charge (Z_eff)

The sub shells in a multielectron atom are not degenerate because they experience different amounts of shielding and this a different effective nuclear charge

• Z_eff increases across the periodic table due to shielding as well

Atomic Radius

A measure of the size of the atom

• Atomic radius decreases across a row on the periodic table and increases down a group

Polarizability

The tendency of an atom to become polarized(their electron clouds have shifted to one side or another, creating a temporary positive and negative charge)

• The larger the atomic radius the more polarizable

• Larger atoms have a higher polarizability because the electrons are far form the nucleus

Ionic Radi

a measure of an ions size 

• Cations are smaller than their parent atoms due to the loss of electrons 

• Anions are larger than their parent atoms due to the gain of electrons