Question

Briefly describe the trend in how elements form ions, as you look across the periodic table from Group 1 to Group 17

Answer 1

For cations:

• The trend of cation formation increases.

For anions:

• The trend of anion formation decreases

Step-by-step explanation:

Across the periodic table from group I to group VII, Atomic radius increases due to increase in energy levels. While nuclear charge is almost constant due to constant number of protons since electrons are added on the same shell.

Therefore, the effective nuclear charge will decrease since net nuclear attraction also decreases.