Consider the following statements: A characteristic of the structure of metallic atoms is that 1. their outermost orbital of electrons is nearly complete and they attract electrons from other atoms 2. their atoms are smaller and more compact than those of non-metallic elements Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Consider the following statements: A characteristic of the structure of metallic atoms is that 1. their outermost orbital of electrons is nearly complete and they attract electrons from other atoms 2. their atoms are smaller and more compact than those of non-metallic elements Which of the above statements is/are correct? Correct Answer Neither 1 and 2
The tendency of an atom to lose one more valance electrons to form positive ion is known as metallic character. These atoms are considered as metal. Therefore the metals have the tendency to lose the atoms.
Metallic character increase with increase in the size of atom. This is due to the fact that greater the size of atom, the farther is the valence electron from the nucleus and lesser is the pull exerted on it. As a result electrons can be removed more easily from the valence shell, thus making the elements, more metallic. Therefore the metallic elements have more size of the atoms compared to their non-metallic counterparts.
Note:
The tendency of an atom to gain electron and form negative ion is known as non-metallic character and those atoms are considered as non-metals.
The non-metallic character increases with decrease in size of the atom. The smaller the size of atom greater is the nuclear attraction on valance electrons and hence the more non-metallic the element.