Class XI, Chemistry
Ch-3- CLASSIFICATION OF ELEMENTS AND
PERIODICITY IN PROPERTIES
Need of classification of elements:
At present 114 elements are known. With such a large number of elements it is very difficult to
study the chemistry of all these elements and their innumerable compounds individually. To
overcome this difficulty, scientists searched for a systematic way to organize their knowledge by
classifying the elements.
1. Dobereiner’s triads: He noticed that, there is
similarity in physical and chemical properties when
elements are arranged as triads in such a way that
atomic weight of the middle element is the average
of atomic weights of other two elements
2. Newland’s Octaves: He arranged the elements in increasing order of their atomic
weights and noticed that every eighth element had properties similar to the first element
(Table 3.2). The relationship was just like every eighth note that resembles the first in
octaves of music. Newlands’s Law of Octaves seemed to be true only for elements up to
calcium.
3. Mendeleev’s periodic table: Mendeleev arranged elements in horizontal rows and
vertical columns of a table in order of their increasing atomic weights in such a way that
the elements with similar properties occupied the same vertical column or group.
Mendeleev’s periodic law: This law states that physical and chemical properties of an
element are a periodic function of atomic weight.
Advantages of Mendeleev’s periodic table:
(a) He could classify all the 60 elements known at that time.
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(b) He could predict the properties of some elements which were not discovered at that
time. Eg: Properties of Gallium and Germanium were predicted by Mendeleev as
Eka Aluminium and Eka silicon
(c) He could correct the atomic masses of some of the elements. Eg: He corrected the
atomic masses of Tellurium and Iodine
4. Modern periodic table: Henry Moseley observed that, for an element atomic number is
more fundamental property than its atomic mass. He arranged elements in the increasing
order of atomic number and observed that elements with similar properties reoccurring
after a regular interval.
Modern periodic law: This law states that physical and chemical properties of elements
are periodic function of atomic number.
Periodicity and its cause: The reoccurrence of elements with similar properties after a
regular interval when they are arranged in the increasing order of atomic number is called
periodicity. The cause of periodicity is the reoccurrence of similar electronic
configuration in elements.
5. Long form of the periodic table: This is the most convenient and widely used form of
the periodic table. In this arrangement more importance is given to electronic
configuration of elements such that elements with similar electronic configuration are
placed in the same vertical column.
Characteristics of long form of periodic table:
(a) Period: The horizontal rows of the periodic table are called periods. There are 7
periods in the periodic table. The number of elements in periods from 1 to 7 is
2,8,8,18,18,32 and 32 respectively. Each period starts with an element in which the
filling of a new principal quantum number begins. For eg: first period starts with
hydrogen in which n= 1 (first shell) begins to fill electron and second period starts
with lithium in which n= 2( second shell) begins to fill and so on.
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(b) Group: The vertical columns in the periodic table are called Groups. There are 18
groups in the periodic table. In each group elements with similar outermost electronic
configuration and hence having similar properties are placed.
(c) Types of elements: The elements in the periodic table are classified in to 4 blocks
namely s-block, p-block, d-block and f-block depending on the type of atomic orbitals
that are being filled with electrons.
(i) s-Block elements: Elements of group 1 and group 2 which have ns1 and ns2
outermost electronic configuration belong to the s-Block Elements.
(ii) p-Block elements: Elements of group 13 to 18 in which 6outermost electronic
configuration varies from ns2 np1 to ns2np6 belong to the p-block elements.
Special names for some of the p- block elements
Group 16 – Chalcogens, Group 17- Halogens Group 18 – noble gases
(iii) d-Block elements : These are the elements of Group 3 to 12 in the centre of
the Periodic Table. These are characterized by the filling of inner d orbitals by
electrons These elements have the general outer electronic configuration (n-
1)d1-10ns0-2 . They are all metals .They are also called as transition metals.
(iv) f-Block elements: The two rows of elements at the bottom of the Periodic
Table in which the last electron enters in to f orbital are called f-block
elements. Their general outer electronic configuration is (n-2)f1-14 (n-1)d0–1ns2.
The first row of elements from Cerium to Lutetium is called Lanthanoids
(elements coming after Lanthanum) and the second row from Thorium to
lawrencium is called Actinoids (elements coming after Actinium). The f-
block elements are also called as Inner transition elements.
The s-Block and p-Block elements together called as Representative
elements or main block elements
IUPAC nomenclature of elements having atomic number more than 100: The name of the
element is decided by the digits present in the atomic number of the element. The name is a
combination of digit names of atomic number followed by suffix –ium
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Screening effect or shielding effect: The attractive interactions of an electron and nucleus
increases with increase of positive charge on the nucleus. But the electron in the outer shell of an
atom will not experience the full positive charge of the nucleus due to the repulsion from the
electrons present in the inner shells. This decrease in the force of attraction exerted by the
nucleus on the valence electrons due to the presence of electrons in the inner shells is called
screening effect or shielding effect.
Within the same shell electrons of different sub shells will not screen each other as their
orientations are different
The order of screening effect shown by electrons of different sub shells is as follows
s>p>d>f
Effective nuclear charge (Zeff.): The net positive charge experienced by the outer electrons is
known as effective nuclear charge.
Zeff experienced by the valence electrons of an atom increases with increase of nuclear charge
and decreases with increase of shielding effect.
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Atomic radius: The distance from the centre of the nucleus to the outer most shell of the atom is
called atomic radius. As the size of the atom is very small and the electron cloud surrounding the
nucleus does not have sharp boundary the determination of the atomic size cannot be precise. A
practical approach is to estimate the size of atom in their combined state.
(a) Covalent radius: Covalent radius is half of the distance between the nuclei of two similar
atoms joined by a single covalent bond.
(b) Vander Waal’s radius: Van der Waals radius is half of the distance between two similar
atoms in separate molecules in a solid.
Or
It is half of the closest distance between two atoms that aren't bonded or within the same
molecule.
(c) Metallic radius: Half of the inter nuclear distance separating the metal cores joined
together by metallic bond in the metallic crystal is called metallic radius.
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(d) Ionic radius: Ionic radius is the distance from the nucleus of an ion up to which it has
an influence on its electron cloud. This can be calculated from the inter nuclear distance
of cation and anion in an ionic crystal.
Variation of atomic radius in a period: Atomic radius decreases from left to right in a period.
Reason: From left to right in a period, nuclear charge (atomic number) increases but the number
of shells remains same. As the number of shells remains same, shielding effect will not increase
as we move from left to right in a period. Therefore, effective nuclear charge increases with
increase of atomic number in a period which results an increased attraction of electrons to the
nucleus.
Variation of atomic radius in a group: Atomic radius increases as we move down in a group.
Reason: On moving down the group, atomic number and number of shells of atoms increases.
The increase of atomic number causes increase of nuclear charge and the increase of number of
shells causes increased shielding of nuclear charge. As shielding effect is more predominant,
effective nuclear charge decreases on moving down the group. This causes decrease of nuclear
attraction on electrons and hence increase of atomic radius on moving down the group.