Question

Explain why chemical reactivity for metals decreases from left to right and increases from top to bottom, but the chemical reactivity for nonmetals increases from left to right and decreases from top to bottom.

Answer 1

in a period left right metallic charecter is decreases and non metallic charecter increases.

So in a periodic table metallic charecter decreasesfrom left to right .

in a periodic table top to bottom metallic charecter increases and non metallic charecter is decreases.

In a period left to right reactivity of metals decreases.

In a group top to bottom reactivity of metals increases.

As we know that from left to right in a period atomic size decreases and from top to bottom in a group atomic size or radius increases and metals are electrons donor and non metals are electrons acceptors so metal reactivity increases from top to bottom in a group due to more shielding effect insuccessive period in a group and from top to bottom in a group non metals reactivity decreases as more shielding effect cannot allow to attract electrons towards it.