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What Patterns Can We Observe in Electronegativity as We Move Down the Groups?

As we go down a group in the periodic table, the ability of atoms to attract electrons usually gets weaker.

Why does this happen?

  • Bigger Size: Atoms get larger as you go down. This means the outer electrons are farther from the center of the atom.

  • Shielding Effect: The inner electrons act like a shield, making it harder for the nucleus to pull in the outer electrons.

Example:

  • Fluorine, which is at the top of Group 17, is very good at attracting electrons. But iodine, which is lower down, is not as good at this.

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What Patterns Can We Observe in Electronegativity as We Move Down the Groups?

As we go down a group in the periodic table, the ability of atoms to attract electrons usually gets weaker.

Why does this happen?

  • Bigger Size: Atoms get larger as you go down. This means the outer electrons are farther from the center of the atom.

  • Shielding Effect: The inner electrons act like a shield, making it harder for the nucleus to pull in the outer electrons.

Example:

  • Fluorine, which is at the top of Group 17, is very good at attracting electrons. But iodine, which is lower down, is not as good at this.

Related articles