Properties of the elements
Element properties
The Atoms are complex particles that are composed in turn of more or less particles. Each atom is like a planetary system in which the positively-charged protons of the nucleus, interact with the negatively-charged electrons in the periphery. These interactions, which condition their behavior, can be measured indirectly by studying certain properties of atoms.
We are interested in the following properties of the atoms :
- Size: We will consider the size of an atom as the space occupied by its electron cloud.
- Ionization potential: It is the energy that must be given to an atom in a gaseous state to remove its outermost electron. The reactions between Atoms (and molecules) are established through exchange or sharing of electrons and, therefore, it is an important parameter to know its reactivity.
- Electron affinity: It is the energy that is lost or is gained when an atom accepts an electron in its outermost available shell. It is a qualitatively complementary parameter of the ionization potential. Both allows us to know its reactivity.
- Electronegativity: It is the ability of an atom to attract towards itself a pair of electrons that it shares with another atom to form a bond. This parameter is paramount to understand the reactivity of the molecules.