CLASSIFICATION OF ELEMENTS &

PERIODICITY IN PROPERTIES
NEET Ultimate High-Yield Revision Notes (NCERT-Centric)

CRITICAL FOR NEET 2026 • 100% NCERT COVERAGE • EXCEPTIONS & TRICKS

1. Historical Development & Bases of Classification

Early attempts were based strictly on atomic mass. Understand the chronological progression and
fundamental limitations:

• Dobereiner's Triads (1829): Arranged elements with similar properties into groups of three. The atomic
weight of the middle element was roughly the arithmetic mean of the other two.
Li (7), Na (23), K (39) → (7 + 39) / 2 = 23.
Limitation: Restricted only to a few elements (e.g., Cl, Br, I and Ca, Sr, Ba).
• A.E.B. de Chancourtois (1862): Arranged elements in order of increasing atomic weights on a cylindrical
helix. First to notice periodicity but failed to gain attention.
• Newlands' Law of Octaves (1865): Arranged elements in increasing order of atomic weights. Every 8th
element had properties similar to the 1st (like musical notes).
Limitation: Valid only up to Calcium (Ca). Failed completely when noble gases were discovered later.
• Mendeleev's Periodic Law: "The properties of elements are a periodic function of their atomic weights."
◦ Merits: Left gaps for undiscovered elements like Eka-Boron (Scandium), Eka-Aluminum (Gallium),
and Eka-Silicon (Germanium). Corrected doubtful atomic weights of Be, In, U.
◦ Demerits: Anomalous pairs where higher atomic mass preceded lower mass (Ar before K, Co before
Ni, Te before I). No fixed position for Hydrogen, and could not accommodate isotopes.

TRICK for Mendeleev's Predicted Elements:

• Eka-Boron = Scandium → Remember EBS (Eka Boron Scandium)
• Eka-Aluminum = Gallium → Remember EAGa (Eka Al Ga)
• Eka-Silicon = Germanium → Remember ESGe (Eka Si Ge)

2. Modern Periodic Law and the Long Form

Henry Moseley (1913) plotted √ν (where ν is frequency of X-rays emitted) against atomic number (Z) and
obtained a straight line, whereas a plot against atomic weight was not linear. This proved that atomic number
is a more fundamental property than atomic mass.

NEET Ultimate High-Yield Notes: Periodic Table Page 1 of 5

 CRITICAL NCERT LINE: Modern Periodic Law states: "The physical and chemical properties of the elements
are periodic functions of their atomic numbers."

Structure of Long Form of Periodic Table:

• Horizontal Rows: Called Periods (Total = 7). Period number corresponds to the highest principal
quantum number (n) of the elements.
• Vertical Columns: Called Groups (Total = 18 according to IUPAC). Elements in a group possess similar
outer electronic configurations.

IUPAC Nomenclature for Elements with Z > 100:

Digit Root Abbreviation Digit Root Abbreviation

0 nil n 5 pent p

1 un u 6 hex h

2 bi b 7 sept s

3 tri t 8 oct o

4 quad q 9 enn e

Example: Z = 101 → Un + nil + un + ium = Unnilunium (Unu). Z = 118 → Un + un + oct + ium = Ununoctium
(Uuo) / Oganesson (Og).

3. Electronic Configuration & Block-wise Classification

s-Block Elements (Groups 1 and 2):

• General outer configuration: ns1–2. All are reactive metals with low ionization enthalpies.
• Group 1: Alkali metals. Group 2: Alkaline earth metals. Metallic character and reactivity increase down the
group.

p-Block Elements (Groups 13 to 18):

• General outer configuration: ns2 np1–6. Together with s-block, they are called Representative / Main
Group Elements .

• Group 17 elements are Halogens , Group 16 are Chalcogens , and Group 18 are Noble Gases (ns2np6
configuration).

d-Block Elements (Groups 3 to 12):

• General outer configuration: (n-1)d1–10 ns0–2. Known as Transition Elements .

NEET Ultimate High-Yield Notes: Periodic Table Page 2 of 5

 • They form colored ions, exhibit variable oxidation states, paramagnetism, and are widely used as
catalysts.

• EXCEPTION: Zn, Cd, Hg have (n-1)d10 ns2 completely filled configurations. Therefore, they do not show
typical transition properties, but are still d-block elements.

f-Block Elements (Inner Transition Elements):

• General outer configuration: (n-2)f1–14 (n-1)d0–1 ns2.
• Lanthanoids: Z = 58 → 71 (Cerium to Lutetium). Actinoids: Z = 90 → 103 (Thorium to Lawrencium).
• Actinoids are radioactive and show wide variations in oxidation states due to comparable energies of 5f,
6d, and 7s orbitals.

4. Periodic Trends in Physical Properties

A. Atomic Radius:
• Across a Period: Atomic radius decreases due to an increase in Effective Nuclear Charge (Zeff)
as electrons are added to the same shell while protons increase.
• Down a Group: Atomic radius increases because the principal quantum number (n) increases, adding
new shells which outweigh the increased nuclear charge.

CRITICAL EXCEPTIONS FOR ATOMIC RADIUS:

1. Noble Gases: The atomic radius of a noble gas is significantly larger than its preceding halogen because
noble gas radii are measured as Van der Waals Radii , which are structurally larger than covalent
radii.
2. Gallium vs. Aluminum: Atomic radius of Ga (135 pm) is slightly less than that of Al (143 pm).
Reason: Poor shielding effect of the intervening 10 3d electrons in Gallium, leading to increased Zeff.

3. 4d and 5d Transition Series: Elements of the 5d series (e.g., Hf) have almost identical atomic radii to
those of the 4d series (e.g., Zr).
Reason: Lanthanoid Contraction caused by the exceptionally poor shielding of 14 inner 4f electrons.

B. Ionic Radius and Isoelectronic Species:

• Isoelectronic species have the same number of electrons but different nuclear charges (e.g., O2-, F-,
Na+, Mg2+ all have 10 electrons).
• Trend: Size decreases as nuclear charge increases.
O2- > F- > Na+ > Mg2+ > Al3+.
• Note: Cation is always smaller than its parent atom; Anion is always larger than its parent atom.

NEET Ultimate High-Yield Notes: Periodic Table Page 3 of 5

C. Ionization Enthalpy (IE):

Energy required to remove an electron from an isolated gaseous atom in its ground state. X(g) → X+(g) + e-.
Always endothermic (ΔH > 0). Successive IE: IE1 < IE2 < IE3.

HIGH-YIELD EXCEPTIONS FOR IONIZATION ENTHALPY:

• Period 2 Trend: Expected: Li < Be < B < C < N < O < F < Ne.
ACTUAL: Li < B < Be < C < O < N < F < Ne.
Reason 1 (Be > B): Be has a stable fully-filled subshell configuration (1s2 2s2) and higher penetration power
of 2s vs 2p in B (1s2 2s2 2p1).
Reason 2 (N > O): N has a stable, exactly half-filled p-subshell (1s2 2s2 2p3), requiring more energy to
remove an electron than O (1s2 2s2 2p4).

D. Electron Gain Enthalpy (ΔegH):

Enthalpy change when an electron is added to a neutral gaseous atom. Can be exothermic or endothermic.

• Halogens have the most negative electron gain enthalpies because they achieve a stable noble gas
configuration by gaining one electron.
• Noble gases have highly positive ΔegH because the electron has to enter a higher principal quantum shell.

CRITICAL NCERT EXCEPTION FOR ELECTRON GAIN ENTHALPY:

• Chlorine vs. Fluorine: ΔegH of Fluorine is less negative than Chlorine.
Reason: The small size of the Fluorine atom results in strong inter-electronic repulsion in its compact 2p
subshell, resisting the incoming electron compared to Chlorine's larger 3p subshell.
Group 17 Trend: Cl > F > Br > I (Magnitude of negative energy released).
• Oxygen vs. Sulfur: Oxygen has the least negative electron gain enthalpy in Group 16 for the exact same
reason.
Group 16 Trend: S > Se > Te > Po > O.

E. Electronegativity (EN):

The qualitative ability of an atom in a chemical compound to attract shared pairs of electrons to itself. Unlike
IE or ΔegH, it is not a measurable thermodynamic quantity.

• Measured on the Pauling Scale where Fluorine is arbitrarily assigned a value of 4.0 (highest).
• Trend: Increases across a period, decreases down a group.

TRICK for Electronegativity Values (Pauling Scale):

Memorize Period 2 values perfectly by adding 0.5 progressively:

NEET Ultimate High-Yield Notes: Periodic Table Page 4 of 5

 Li (1.0) → Be (1.5) → B (2.0) → C (2.5) → N (3.0) → O (3.5) → F (4.0)

5. Periodic Trends in Chemical Properties

• Valence/Oxidation States: Across a period, valence with respect to oxygen increases from 1 to 7 (e.g.,
Na2O, MgO, Al2O3, SiO2, P4O10, SO3, Cl2O7). Valence with respect to hydrogen increases up to group 14
and then decreases (CH4, NH3, H2O, HF).
• Anomalous Properties of Second Period Elements: The first element of each group (Li, Be, B, C, N, O,
F) exhibits anomalous behavior due to:
1. Exceptionally small atomic/ionic size.
2. High electronegativity and high ionization enthalpy.
3. Non-availability of vacant d-orbitals (restricts maximum covalency to 4).

• Diagonal Relationships: Certain elements of the 2nd period show striking similarities with elements of
the 3rd period placed diagonally adjacent to them due to similar ionic potential ( charge/size ratio ).
Pairs: Li & Mg, Be & Al, B & Si.

Periodic Trends in Oxide Nature:

• Elements on the extreme left form strongly basic oxides (e.g., Na2O).

• Elements on the extreme right form strongly acidic oxides (e.g., Cl2O7).

• Elements in the center form amphoteric or neutral oxides.

HIGH-YIELD NCERT METALS/METALLOIDS OXIDE TRICK:

• Amphoteric Oxides: Al2O3, Ga2O3, ZnO, PbO, PbO2, SnO, SnO2, BeO, As2O3, Sb2O3.

• Neutral Oxides (Strictly memorise these 3 from NCERT): Nitrous oxide (N2O), Nitric oxide (NO), Carbon
monoxide (CO). (Water H2O is also neutral).

NEET Ultimate High-Yield Notes: Periodic Table Page 5 of 5