BRAINCAKEElectron Configuration
The chemistry of each element is determined by its electron configuration, in particular, the number of electrons in the outermost (highest energy) shell. As you go down a group, there is an extra shell, but the same number of electrons in the outermost shell.
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Key terms in this lesson
- Electron shell
- A main energy level occupied by electrons, given a principal quantum number n, with n = 1 closest to and lowest in energy relative to the nucleus.
- Group
- A vertical column of the periodic table, containing elements with the same number of outer-shell electrons.
More in Periodicity
- The Periodic Table
- Ionisation Energy
- Successive Ionisation Energies
- Trends in First Ionisation Energies Across a Period
- Trends in First Ionisation Energies Down a Group
- Beryllium and Boron
- Nitrogen and Oxygen
- Metallic Bonding
All 14 lessons in Periodicity · All OCR AS-level Chemistry topics