L.No.

1 The School of Elements

Science - A

-By G a n e s h M a m idi
Normal Elements
• Elements having only last one shell incompletely
filled are known as Normal Elements.
• Elements of group 1, 2, 13 to 17 are known as
Normal elements.
• Normal Elements include all elements of s-block &
p-block except Inert gas elements.
How does Valency vary?.
• Valency of an element is determined by the
number of electrons in the outermost shell.
• In 2 & 3 rd period of modern periodic table Valency
increases from 1 to 4 & then decreases from 3 to 0
when we go from left to right.
• In a group as all the elements have same number of
electrons in the outermost shell. Thus the valency
remains same.
Define Atomic Size.
• Atomic size is determined using Atomic Radius.
• For an isolated atom, atomic radius is the is the
distance between the centre of the Atom & the
outermost shell.
How does it vary in a Period?
 In a period, Atomic Radius decreases from left to
right.
 It happens because electrons are added to the
same shell in a period.
 Thus, electrons experience greater pull from the
nucleus.
How does it vary in a group?
In a group, Atomic Radius increases from top to
bottom.
This happens because a new shell is added to each
successive element, on moving down a group.
Thus, the outermost electron go farther & farther
from the nucleus, extending the radius & ultimately
increasing the size of the atom.
Metallic & Non Metallic Character
• The tendency of an element to lose electron is known as
Metallic character.
• The tendency of an element to accept or share electron is
known as Metallic character.
• In the Modern Periodic Table Metallic character
decreases while non-metallic character increase from left
to right in a period.
• This happens because of the decrease in the atomic size.
• Thus, electrons cannot be released easily.
• Elements on the left of the periodic table are
usually metals & on the right side are non-metals.
Metallic & Non Metallic Character
• In the Modern Periodic Table Metallic character
increases while non-metallic character increase from top
to bottom in a group.
• This happens because of the increase in the atomic size
down the group.
• Thus, electrons can be released easily.
Zig-Zag Row/ Metalloids
• The elements showing properties of the metal as well
nonmetals are known as metalloids.
• In the modern periodic table there is a Zig-Zag row of
metalloids separating the metals & nonmetals.
• The elements on the left of the zig-zag row are metals &
on the right are non-metals.
• The Elements present in the Zig-Zag row are Boron (B),
Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge), Arsenic (As), Tellurium (Te)
& Polonium (Po).