The unpaired electrons in Al and Si are present in 3p orbital. Which electrons will experience more effective nuclear charge from the nucleus?
Nuclear charge is defined as the net positive charge experienced by an electron in a multielectron atom. The higher the atomic number, the higher is the nuclear charge. Silicon has 14 protons while aluminium has 13 protons. Hence, silicon has a larger nuclear charge of (+14) than aluminium, which has a nuclear charge of (+13). Thus, the electrons in the 3p orbital of silicon will experience a more effective nuclear charge than aluminium.