Name: _______________________________________ Per: ____ Date: _________

Periodic Trends Worksheet

Use the periodic table and your knowledge of periodic trends to answer the following questions.

1. Which atom in each pair has the larger atomic radius (circle)?
a) Ca or Ni b) Ga or B c) O or C d) Cl or Br

2. What is the trend for atomic size from top to bottom in a group? From left to right in a
period?
: increases from top to bottom in a group, and decreases from left to right across a period.

3. Why do atoms get smaller as you move left to right in a period?

: Because the electrons of all the elements in a period have the same amount of energy
(i.e. they're pretty much equal) and an increasing number of protons gives the nucleus
more "pulling power", the electrons are pulled more tightly to the nucleus. This makes
the atom smaller.

4. Which element in each pair has a larger ionization energy (circle)?

a) Be or Ba b) Cu or Ra c) K or V d) W or Cr

5. Explain the relationship between the relative size of an ion to its neutral atom and the
charge on the ions.
: With the addition of an electron causing a negative charge, an ion is larger than normal
but with loss of an atoms electron, the positive ion is smaller.

6. Which particle has the larger radius in each atom/ion pair (circle)?

a) Na, Na+ b) S, S2- c) I, I- d) Al1-, Al3+

7. What is ionization energy?

: Measure of the capability of an element to enter into chemical reactions requiring ion
formation or donation of electrons.

8. What is the periodic trend for ionization energy for a group? For a period?
: Increases from left to right across a period.

9. What is the reason for the change in ionization energy as you go down a group?
: The outer electrons are further away from the nucleus an hence aren’t tightly held.

10. Arrange the following groups of elements in order of increasing (lowest to highest)
ionization energy:

a) Be, Mg, Sr
Name: _______________________________________ Per: ____ Date: _________

b) Bi, Cs, Ba
c) Na, Al, S

11. Which element in each pair has a higher electronegativity value (circle)?
a) Cl, F b) C, N c) Mg, Ne d) As, Ca

12. What is the trend for electronegativity in a group? In a period?

: decreases as you move down a group

13. Rank the following in order of increasing (lowest to highest) reactivity:

a) Na, Rb, Li
b) S, P
c) Xe, Rn
d) W, Hg, Cs

14. What is the periodic trend for metal reactivity in a group? In a period?

15. What is the reason for the two trends (group and period) in #14?

16. What is the periodic trend for nonmetal reactivity in a group? In a period?

17. What is the reason for the two trends (group and period) in #16?