To determine if the student's arrangement of the four elements is correct based on their reactivity, we need to understand some basic principles of the periodic table:
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In general, for metals, reactivity increases as you move down a group and decreases as you move from left to right across a period. This is because metals on the left side of the periodic table, such as alkali metals, are more reactive due to their tendency to lose electrons easily.
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For nonmetals, reactivity typically increases from left to right across a period and decreases as you move down a group.
Given the options:
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Yes. An element’s reactivity decreases along with its atomic number. (This is not generally correct; reactivity does not solely depend on atomic number.)
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No. An element’s reactivity decreases from right to left on the periodic table. (This is not accurate; reactivity trends differ for metals and nonmetals.)
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No. An element’s reactivity decreases as atomic mass increases. (This is misleading; reactivity trends are not directly related to atomic mass.)
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Yes. An element’s reactivity decreases from left to right on the periodic table. (This is partially true for metals, and generally aligns with trends for nonmetals as well.)
Without knowing the specific elements in the arrangement and their positions on the periodic table, we cannot definitively conclude if the student's arrangement is correct. However, looking at the last option, generally, there is a trend where reactivity decreases from left to right across a period for metals.
If the elements are metals, the last option would be the closest to correct. If they include nonmetals or a combination, the trend would need to be applied accordingly.
Thus, if the student arranged metals only, their arrangement could be correct due to the last option being true. However, if nonmetals were involved, the trends could vary.
In conclusion, to specifically answer the question: You must check the arrangement against specific trends for the elements involved.