Explain the variations in effective nuclear charge. i. Across a period  ii. Down a group

i. Across a period:

• As we move across a period, atomic number increases by one and thus, actual nuclear charge (Z) increases by +1 at a time.
• However, the valence shell remains the same and the newly added electron gets accommodated in the same shell. There is no addition of electrons to the core i.e., inner shells. Thus, shielding due to core electrons remains the same even though the actual nuclear charge increases.
• As a result, the effective nuclear charge (Z_eff) goes on increasing across a period.

ii. Down a group:

• As we move down a group, a new larger valence shell is added. As a result, there is an additional shell in the core.
• The shielding effect of the increased number of core electrons outweighs the effect of the increased nuclear charge. Thus, the effective nuclear charge experienced by the outer electrons decreases largely down a group.
• Hence, the effective nuclear charge (Z_eff) decreases down a group.