Which statement best describes the general pattern for reactivity of metals on the periodic table?

Question

A. Reactivity decreases going down a group and decreases from right to left across the rows.
B. Reactivity decreases going down a group and increases from right to left across the rows.
C. Reactivity increases going down a group and increases from right to left across the rows.
D. Reactivity increases going down a group and decreases from right to left across the rows.

Answer 1

The best statement that describes the general pattern for reactivity of metals on the periodic table is:

D. Reactivity increases going down a group and decreases from right to left across the rows.

In general, as you move down a group (column) in the periodic table, metals become more reactive due to their increasing atomic size and the decreasing ionization energy required to remove an outer electron. Additionally, as you move from left to right across a period (row), the reactivity of metals decreases because they have more protons and higher effective nuclear charge, making it more difficult to lose electrons.