Coulomb's law and periodic trends Transitional Reasoning Download PDF

Questions

1. 1.

   A student uses Coulomb's law, $F \propto \frac{q_1 q_2}{r^2}$, to explain why chlorine has a significantly higher first ionization energy than sodium in Period 3. Which statement best justifies this periodic trend using Coulombic principles?

   • A) In chlorine, the valence electron occupies a higher principal energy level, which decreases the distance to the nucleus and increases attraction.
   • B) In chlorine, the valence electron experiences a higher effective nuclear charge at a comparable distance, resulting in a stronger attractive force that requires more energy to overcome.
   • C) In chlorine, additional inner-shell electrons increase core shielding, causing the effective nuclear charge to decrease and binding the electron more tightly.
   • D) In chlorine, greater electron-electron repulsion in the valence shell pushes the electrons closer to the nucleus, increasing the energy required for removal.