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Chapter 7: Problem 9

Make sense of the fact that metals tend to lose electrons and nonmetals tend to gain electrons

Short Answer

Expert verified
Metals, found on the left and center of the periodic table, tend to lose electrons to form positively charged ions (cations) in order to achieve a stable electron configuration similar to noble gases. On the other hand, nonmetals, found on the right side of the periodic table, gain electrons to complete their valence shell and form negatively charged ions (anions). This difference in behavior is due to the electronegativity of the elements, with nonmetals having a greater ability to attract electrons compared to metals.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding atoms and their electric charges

Atoms consist of a nucleus containing protons and neutrons, with electrons revolving around it. Protons have a positive charge, electrons have a negative charge, and neutrons have no charge. When an atom has an equal number of protons and electrons, it is electrically neutral.
02

The periodic table and the importance of valence electrons

The periodic table organizes elements based on their atomic number, chemical properties, and electron configurations. An important aspect is the outermost shell of electrons in an atom, known as valence electrons. These electrons are responsible for chemical reactions and bonding between atoms. Elements in the same group (vertical column) of the periodic table have the same number of valence electrons, resulting in similar chemical properties.
03

Understanding metal behavior in the periodic table

Metals are found on the left side and in the center of the periodic table. They generally have 1, 2, or 3 valence electrons. Their main goal is to achieve a stable electron configuration as seen in the noble gases (group 18 elements). To do so, metals tend to lose their valence electrons to form cations (positively charged ions). By doing so, the electron configuration of the metals resembles that of the noble gas in the previous period, which leads to their lower energy and greater stability.
04

Understanding nonmetal behavior in the periodic table

Nonmetals are found on the right side of the periodic table, except for hydrogen. They have 4 or more valence electrons. Like metals, nonmetals also seek a stable electron configuration. However, instead of losing electrons, they tend to gain electrons to complete their valence shell. Thus, they form anions (negatively charged ions), achieving stability similar to the noble gases in the same period.
05

The concept of electronegativity

Electronegativity is the measure of an atom's ability to attract electrons to itself in a chemical bond. Nonmetals generally have higher electronegativity values due to their higher effective nuclear charge (more protons) and smaller atomic radii (distance between the electron and the nucleus). This causes nonmetals to attract electrons more strongly compared to metals, giving them a greater tendency to gain electrons. Now that we have gone through the steps to understand the atomic properties of metals and nonmetals, it should make more sense why metals tend to lose electrons, and nonmetals tend to gain electrons during chemical reactions.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

One bit of evidence that the quantum mechanical model is “correct” lies in the magnetic properties of matter. Atoms with unpaired electrons are attracted by magnetic fields and thus are said to exhibit paramagnetism. The degree to which this effect is observed is directly related to the number of unpaired electrons present in the atom. Consider the ground-state electron configurations for Li, N, Ni, Te, Ba, and Hg. Which of these atoms would be expected to be paramagnetic, and how many unpaired electrons are present in each paramagnetic atom?

The first ionization energies of As and Se are 0.947 and 0.941 MJ/mol, respectively. Rationalize these values in terms of electron configurations.

One of the visible lines in the hydrogen emission spectrum corresponds to the \(n=6\) to \(n=2\) electronic transition. What color light is this transition? See Exercise 150 .

Answer the following questions based on the given electron configurations, and identify the elements. a. Arrange these atoms in order of increasing size: $[\mathrm{Kr}] 5 s^{2} 4 d^{10} 5 p^{6} ;[\mathrm{Kr}] 5 s^{2} 4 d^{10} 5 p^{1} ;[\mathrm{Kr}] 5 s^{2} 4 d^{10} 5 p^{3}$ b. Arrange these atoms in order of decreasing first ionization energy: [Ne $3 s^{2} 3 p^{5} ;[\operatorname{Ar}] 4 s^{2} 3 d^{10} 4 p^{3} ;[\operatorname{Ar}] 4 s^{2} 3 d^{10} 4 p^{5}$

How many 4\(d\) electrons would be predicted in the ground state for the following elements? a. zirconium b. cadmium c. iridium d. iron
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