Question

Why does the metallic character of elements increase on going down a group in the Periodic Table?

Answer 1

• The metallic character of an element largely depends upon its ionization energy.
• The smaller the value of ionization energy, the more electropositive and hence the more metallic the element would be.
• The metallic character of elements increases from top to bottom.
• As we move down in a group atomic size increases therefore the distance between valence electrons and nucleus also increases. Thus the electrostatic force of attraction on valence electrons decreases and they can be easily removed.