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Chapter 9: Problem 4

Which member of each pair is more metallic? (a) Na or Cs (b) \(\mathrm{Mg}\) or \(\mathrm{Rb}\) (c) As or \(\mathrm{N}\)

Short Answer

Expert verified
(a) Cs; (b) Rb; (c) As.

Step by step solution

01

Understand Metallicity

The metallic character of an element is defined by its ability to lose electrons easily. Metallic character generally increases as you move down a group (column) in the periodic table and decreases as you move across a period (row) from left to right.
02

Analyze Pair (a) Na or Cs

Sodium (Na) and Cesium (Cs) are both in Group 1 (alkali metals). Since Cs is lower in the group than Na, Cs has a greater metallic character.
03

Analyze Pair (b) Mg or Rb

Magnesium (Mg) is in Group 2, while Rubidium (Rb) is in Group 1. Rb is lower down in its group and metals in Group 1 are more metallic than those in Group 2. Therefore, Rb is more metallic than Mg.
04

Analyze Pair (c) As or N

Arsenic (As) and Nitrogen (N) are in the same period (row), but As is further to the left of the periodic table than N. Therefore, As is more metallic than N.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Periodic Table
The periodic table is a tabular arrangement of all known chemical elements. Each element is placed in a specific spot based on its atomic structure. The table is organized in such a way that elements with similar properties fall into the same columns, known as groups. Rows of the table are called periods.

Each period and group reveals certain trends in element characteristics:
  • As you move from left to right across a period, elements generally become less metallic.
  • As you move down a group, elements generally become more metallic.
Understanding these trends helps in predicting the metallic character of an element, which is its ability to easily lose electrons. This is crucial for solving the exercise about comparing the metallic nature of different element pairs.
Chemical Elements
Chemical elements are pure substances consisting of only one type of atom. Each element has a unique number of protons in its nucleus, referred to as its atomic number. Elements in the same group have similar chemical properties because they have the same number of electrons in their outer shell.

Some key characteristics of chemical elements include:
  • Metals, nonmetals, and metalloids: These categories describe the general properties of elements.
  • Metallic elements tend to lose electrons during chemical reactions.
  • Nonmetals tend to gain or share electrons.
This basic understanding helps us determine why certain elements in a pair are more metallic than others. For example, sodium (Na) and cesium (Cs) are both metals, but cesium is more metallic because it is lower in the periodic table.
Alkali Metals
Alkali metals are found in Group 1 of the periodic table. This group includes elements like lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), and francium (Fr).

Characteristics of alkali metals:
  • They have a single electron in their outermost shell, which they lose easily, making them highly reactive.
  • They are soft and can be cut with a knife.
  • As you move down the group, elements become more reactive and more metallic.
In our exercise, understanding that cesium (Cs) is more metallic than sodium (Na) helps in determining that cesium's position lower in the group plays a significant role in its metallic character.
Metallic Properties
Metallic properties refer to how easily an element can lose electrons to form positive ions. Elements with high metallic character typically exhibit:
  • Good electrical and thermal conductivity
  • Shiny appearance
  • Malleability (can be hammered into thin sheets)
  • Ductility (can be drawn into wires)
Several factors influence metallic properties:

  • Position in the periodic table: Metallic character increases moving down a group and decreases moving across a period.
  • Atomic size: Larger atoms lose electrons more easily, increasing metallic character.
For instance, comparing magnesium (Mg) and rubidium (Rb) from different groups but same period, Rb is more metallic because it's in Group 1.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Draw a Lewis electron-dot symbol for each: (a) Sr (b) \(P\) (c) S

Use condensed electron configurations and Lewis electrondot symbols to depict the ions formed from each of the following atoms, and predict the formula of their compound: (a) Cs and \(S\) (b) \(\mathrm{O}\) and \(\mathrm{Ga}\) (c) \(\mathrm{N}\) and \(\mathrm{Mg}\) (d) Br and Li

Using the periodic table only, arrange the elements in each set in order of decreasing EN: (a) \(\mathrm{Br}, \mathrm{Cl}, \mathrm{P}\) (b) I, F, O

When liquid benzene \(\left(\mathrm{C}_{6} \mathrm{H}_{6}\right)\) boils, does the gas consist of molecules, ions, or separate atoms? Explain.

Use the following to calculate \(\Delta H_{\text {latice }}^{\circ}\) of \(\mathrm{MgF}_{2}\) : \(\begin{array}{llr}\mathrm{Mg}(s) \longrightarrow \mathrm{Mg}(g) & \Delta H^{\circ}= & 148 \mathrm{~kJ} \\ \mathrm{~F}_{2}(g) \longrightarrow 2 \mathrm{~F}(g) & \Delta H^{\circ}= & 159 \mathrm{~kJ} \\ \mathrm{Mg}(g) \longrightarrow \mathrm{Mg}^{+}(g)+\mathrm{e}^{-} & \Delta H^{\circ}= & 738 \mathrm{~kJ} \\ \mathrm{Mg}^{+}(g) \longrightarrow \mathrm{Mg}^{2+}(g)+\mathrm{e}^{-} & \Delta H^{\circ}= & 1450 \mathrm{~kJ} \\\ \mathrm{~F}(g)+\mathrm{e}^{-} \longrightarrow \mathrm{F}^{-}(g) & \Delta H^{\circ}= & -328 \mathrm{~kJ} \\ \mathrm{Mg}(s)+\mathrm{F}_{2}(g) \longrightarrow \mathrm{MgF}_{2}(s) & \Delta H^{\circ}=-1123 \mathrm{~kJ}\end{array}\) Compared with the lattice energy of LiF ( \(1050 \mathrm{~kJ} / \mathrm{mol}\) ) or the lattice energy you calculated for \(\mathrm{NaCl}\) in Problem \(9.30,\) does the relative magnitude of the value for \(\mathrm{MgF}_{2}\) surprise you? Explain.
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