Question

as you go down a group
shielding effect increases
shielding effect decreases
nuclear charge decreases
nuclear charge stays the same

Explanation:

Step1: Recall periodic - table trends

As you go down a group in the periodic table, the number of electron shells increases.

Step2: Analyze shielding effect

With more electron shells, the inner - shell electrons shield the outer - shell electrons from the nuclear charge more effectively. So, the shielding effect increases.

Step3: Analyze nuclear charge

The number of protons in the nucleus increases as you go down a group, so the nuclear charge increases.

Answer:

Shielding effect increases