Question
Given the positions of francium (Fr) and barium (Ba) in the periodic table, predict the reactivity of francium compared to barium and justify your reasoning based on their valence electron configurations.
1 point
Francium is more reactive than barium because Barium has one more valence electron, making it easier to lose.
Francium is less reactive than barium due to its higher atomic mass.
Francium is more reactive than barium because Francium has one less valence electron to lose easily.
Francium and barium have similar reactivity due to their placement in the same group.
1 point
Francium is more reactive than barium because Barium has one more valence electron, making it easier to lose.
Francium is less reactive than barium due to its higher atomic mass.
Francium is more reactive than barium because Francium has one less valence electron to lose easily.
Francium and barium have similar reactivity due to their placement in the same group.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is: **Francium is more reactive than barium because Francium has one less valence electron to lose easily.**
Explanation:
Francium (Fr) and barium (Ba) are both alkali metals located in Group 1 of the periodic table (although francium is often considered in Group 1 as part of the alkali metals, its extreme radioactivity makes it less studied). Both elements have one valence electron in their outermost shell (for francium, the configuration is [Rn] 7s¹, and for barium, it's [Xe] 6s²).
However, francium is significantly more reactive than barium due to its position further down the group. As you move down the alkali metals, the atomic size increases, and the outer electron is further from the nucleus, resulting in a weaker attraction between the nucleus and the valence electron. This makes it much easier for francium to lose its lone valence electron as compared to barium, which has two electrons to lose (the second electron of barium is from a lower energy level and lies deeper in the atom's electron cloud).
Additionally, the extreme reactivity of francium, alongside its high atomic mass and radioactivity, means that it is significantly more reactive than barium. Therefore, the reasoning concerning the loss of electrons and the atomic structure justifies that francium is more reactive compared to barium.
Explanation:
Francium (Fr) and barium (Ba) are both alkali metals located in Group 1 of the periodic table (although francium is often considered in Group 1 as part of the alkali metals, its extreme radioactivity makes it less studied). Both elements have one valence electron in their outermost shell (for francium, the configuration is [Rn] 7s¹, and for barium, it's [Xe] 6s²).
However, francium is significantly more reactive than barium due to its position further down the group. As you move down the alkali metals, the atomic size increases, and the outer electron is further from the nucleus, resulting in a weaker attraction between the nucleus and the valence electron. This makes it much easier for francium to lose its lone valence electron as compared to barium, which has two electrons to lose (the second electron of barium is from a lower energy level and lies deeper in the atom's electron cloud).
Additionally, the extreme reactivity of francium, alongside its high atomic mass and radioactivity, means that it is significantly more reactive than barium. Therefore, the reasoning concerning the loss of electrons and the atomic structure justifies that francium is more reactive compared to barium.