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Concept
Effective nuclear charge is the net positive charge experienced by an electron in a multi-electron atom, accounting for both the actual nuclear charge and the shielding effect of other electrons. It plays a crucial role in determining atomic properties such as atomic radius, ionization energy, and electron affinity.
Concept
Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an isolated atom or ion in its gaseous state. It is a fundamental property that reveals the reactivity of elements, with higher ionization energies indicating a stronger hold on electrons and typically less reactivity.
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Atomic radius is the distance from the nucleus of an atom to the outer boundary of its electron cloud, which determines the size of the atom. It generally decreases across a period due to increased nuclear charge and increases down a group due to the addition of electron shells.
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Periodic trends refer to the predictable patterns in the properties of elements that occur across different periods and groups in the periodic table. These trends arise due to variations in atomic structure and electron configurations as you move across a period or down a group.
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Electron configuration describes the distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals, providing insight into an element's chemical properties and reactivity. It follows the principles of the Aufbau principle, Pauli exclusion principle, and Hund's rule to determine the most stable arrangement of electrons in an atom's electron shells.
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Coulomb's law describes the electrostatic interaction between electrically charged particles. It states that the force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them, acting along the line joining the charges.
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Slater's rules provide a method to estimate the effective nuclear charge experienced by an electron in a multi-electron atom, accounting for electron shielding and penetration. These rules simplify the calculation of electron interactions by assigning specific shielding constants to electrons in different orbitals, aiding in understanding atomic structure and properties.
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Valence electrons are the outermost electrons of an atom and play a crucial role in determining its chemical properties and reactivity. They are involved in forming chemical bonds, such as covalent and ionic bonds, and dictate how atoms interact with each other in molecules and compounds.
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Core electrons are the electrons in an atom that are not involved in chemical bonding and reside in the inner shells, closer to the nucleus. They effectively shield the valence electrons from the full positive charge of the nucleus, influencing properties like atomic size and ionization energy.
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Orbital penetration refers to the phenomenon where electrons in inner orbitals shield outer electrons from the full effect of the nucleus, affecting atomic properties such as ionization energy and atomic radius. This concept is crucial in understanding the distribution of electrons in multi-electron atoms and their chemical behavior.
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Atomic size refers to the distance from the nucleus of an atom to the outermost shell of electrons, influencing properties such as reactivity and bonding. It generally decreases across a period due to increased nuclear charge and increases down a group due to additional electron shells.
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Ionization potential, also known as ionization energy, is the energy required to remove an electron from a neutral atom in its gaseous state, reflecting the atom's ability to hold onto its electrons. It is a critical factor in determining an element's chemical reactivity and is influenced by atomic size, nuclear charge, and electron shielding.
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Nuclear charge refers to the total charge of the nucleus, which is determined by the number of protons and is a fundamental factor in influencing atomic structure and chemical behavior. It affects the attraction between the nucleus and electrons, impacting ionization energy, electron affinity, and atomic radii.
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The shielding effect refers to the reduction in effective nuclear charge on the electron cloud, due to the repulsion between electrons in different shells. This phenomenon explains why electrons in outer shells are less tightly bound to the nucleus, influencing atomic size, ionization energy, and electron affinity.
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First ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove the outermost electron from a neutral atom in its gaseous state. It reflects the strength of an atom's hold on its electrons and is influenced by factors such as atomic size, nuclear charge, and electron shielding.
Concept
The shielding constant is a parameter used in quantum chemistry to describe the reduction in effective nuclear charge experienced by an electron due to the presence of other electrons. It quantifies the extent to which inner electrons can shield outer electrons from the full attraction of the nucleus, impacting atomic properties like ionization energy and electron affinity.
Concept
Atomic radii refer to the size of an atom, typically measured from the nucleus to the outermost electron shell. It generally decreases across a period due to increased nuclear charge and increases down a group as additional electron shells are added.
Successive Ionization Energies refer to the energy required to remove each electron from an atom or ion, one after another, with each subsequent removal requiring more energy due to the increased attraction between the remaining electrons and the nucleus. This concept is crucial for understanding the electronic structure of atoms and the stability of ions, as it highlights the increasing difficulty of removing electrons as the atom becomes more positively charged.
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