Which of the following occurs for the representative elements going left to right across the period?
A) Electronegativity decreases.
B) Atomic size increases.
C) Forces of attraction between electron and nucleus increase because nuclear charge increases.
D) The outer electrons are held more weakly.
E) none of these

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

As you go from left to right in a period, the nuclear charge increases (due to increasing number of protons), which causes the electrons to be pulled more closely to the nucleus. This in turn increases the force of attraction between the electrons and nucleus, making it more difficult to remove electrons and decreasing atomic size. This trend is known as the effective nuclear charge trend.

Which of the Following Occurs for the Representative Elements Going