Periodic Table, Bonding, and Reactions – Study Notes

What causes patterns in the periodic table?

Electrical attraction and repulsion between protons and electrons.

What is the significance of periodic table patterns?

They help determine an element’s reactivity.

What is the trend for atomic size in the periodic table?

Increases down a group, decreases across a period.

How does electronegativity change across the periodic table?

Increases across a period, decreases down a group.

What is the reactivity trend for metals in the periodic table?

More reactive down a group.

What is the reactivity trend for nonmetals in the periodic table?

More reactive up a group.

What are valence electrons?

The outermost electrons of an atom.

What determines how many bonds an atom can form?

The number of valence electrons.

What effect does electronegativity have on bonding?

It affects how electrons are shared in a bond.

What can the periodic table be used to identify?

Valence electron configurations.

What does the conservation of matter state about chemical reactions?

Atoms are conserved; the number of each type of atom is the same before and after a reaction.

Define reactants in a chemical reaction.

Starting substances.

Define products in a chemical reaction.

Substances formed after a reaction.

What types of bonds are identified using valence electrons and electronegativity?

Ionic, covalent (including polar and nonpolar), and metallic.

Describe ionic bonds.

Electron transfer between metals and nonmetals.

Describe covalent bonds.

Electrons are shared between nonmetals.

What distinguishes polar covalent bonds from nonpolar covalent bonds?

Polar covalent has unequal sharing of electrons, while nonpolar covalent has equal sharing.

What is the role of the periodic table in explaining reaction behavior?

It helps explain why some elements react more strongly than others.

What should you be able to do if new information is presented?

Change or improve explanations accordingly.