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Question
- aluminum (al) has an atomic number of 13 and is located in group 13 and period 3 of the periodic table. in general, is there a relationship between the locations of metals on the periodic table and their relative activity? explain why.
In the periodic table, metals are mainly located on the left - hand side and towards the bottom. Generally, the more reactive a metal is, the lower its position in a group (for main - group metals) and the further left it is in a period. This is because metals tend to lose electrons in chemical reactions. As we move down a group, the atomic radius increases, and the outermost electrons are less tightly held by the nucleus, making them more likely to be lost. As we move left in a period, the effective nuclear charge on the outermost electrons decreases, also making it easier for the metal to lose electrons and be more reactive.
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In general, there is a relationship between the locations of metals on the periodic table and their relative activity. Metals towards the bottom - left of the periodic table are more reactive because of factors like larger atomic radius and lower effective nuclear charge on outermost electrons, which make it easier for them to lose electrons in chemical reactions.