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Ch.5 - Periodicity & Electronic Structure of Atoms

Chapter 5, Problem 98

Why does the number of elements in successive periods of the periodic table increase by the progression 2, 8, 18, 32?

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Hello everyone today. We have the following problem. Which of the following statement explains why the number of elements in successive periods of the periodic table increases. So why does the number of elements in a row? Because a period represents the row on the periodic table? The horizontal rows? Why does it increase? So It's important to note that when we have our first period or period one the number of elements is going to be too. So we have two elements in the first period Periods two and 3. However, so periods two and 3 however Have eight elements total. When we get to period four and five This is going to be 18 elements And last but not least in our period six and We can hold a max or we have a total of 32 elements. So essentially as we jump from period to period. So as we go from period to period Our in or our principal quantum number increases by one. And so when it increases by one this is going to lead to the number of orbital's also increasing. So for example for our first period our period one we can have an s orbital periods two and three we can have an S and a p orbital For parents four and 5 we can have an s. p and D orbital's. And lastly for six and seven we have S P D and f orbital's. So as we can see that the number of electrons in the shell is going to increase and account for the increase in the elements overall leading us with anti choice be the principal quantum number increases by one from one period to the next, which accounts for the number of elements increasing in successive periods of the periodic table. And with that we have answered the question overall, I hope that this helped, and until next time.