Consider the elements: Na, Mg, Al, Si, P. c. Which element is least metallic?

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Identify the elements given: Na, Mg, Al, Si, P.

Recall that metallic character decreases across a period from left to right on the periodic table.

Locate the elements on the periodic table: Na, Mg, Al, Si, and P are all in the same period (Period 3).

Understand that as you move from left to right across a period, elements become less metallic and more non-metallic.

Determine that phosphorus (P) is the furthest to the right in this list, making it the least metallic element among the given options.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Metallic Character

Metallic character refers to the tendency of an element to exhibit properties typical of metals, such as conductivity, malleability, and luster. Elements with high metallic character tend to lose electrons easily, forming positive ions. As you move across a period in the periodic table from left to right, metallic character generally decreases due to increasing nuclear charge, which attracts electrons more strongly.

Periodic Trends

Periodic trends are patterns observed in the periodic table that describe how certain properties of elements change across periods and down groups. Key trends include atomic radius, ionization energy, electronegativity, and metallic character. Understanding these trends helps predict the behavior of elements, such as which will be more or less metallic based on their position in the table.

Position in the Periodic Table

The position of an element in the periodic table is crucial for determining its properties, including metallic character. Elements are arranged by increasing atomic number, with metals located on the left and nonmetals on the right. For the elements Na, Mg, Al, Si, and P, their positions indicate that Na is the most metallic and P is the least metallic, as P is a nonmetal located further to the right.

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The first ionization energy of lithium is 520 kJ/mol. Use Coulomb's law to estimate the average distance between the lithium nucleus and the 2s electron. How does this distance compare to the atomic radius of lithium? Assume an effective nuclear charge of 1+ for the valence electron.