As a result, reactivity gets reduced because there is a less nuclear attraction to capture an electron from another species. This repulsion turns down the attraction among the outer electrons and the nucleus. So, the inner-shell electrons push back outer-shell electrons. Reactivity decreases with the increase in shielding electrons in an atom.Įlectrons comprise a negative charge. This order gets reversed in case of a negative charge.Įlectron guarding (or shielding) blocks the valence shell electrons’ attraction towards the nucleus because of the presence of inner-shell electrons. Therefore, reactivity decreases as the positive charge increases on the nucleus. It means the size of the atom decreases, and hence, it will be harder to lose electrons and form bonds. As a result, it pulls the outermost shell electrons towards itself more conveniently. When the positive charge on the nucleus increases, there will be a stronger nuclear attraction between the nucleus and valence shell electrons. The more protons in the nucleus of an atom, the greater the attraction between the nucleus and the outer shell electrons. As a result, there is an expansion in the activation energy of the molecules, and hence, they show high chances of forming bonds or reactivity. The energy available for a chemical reaction increases by increasing the temperature, usually making it more likely.Īs you increase the temperature of the reaction, the electrons start to vibrate more frequently and collide with other atoms’ electrons more readily. As a result, it shows less affinity to react with other elements, or you can say that to react with other atoms, you need to provide it with more heat energy. It is because when the electrons are away from the nucleus, there is less electron density on the atom. The larger the atomic radius, the lesser the reactivity of an element. The size of an atom is generally considered as the distance between the outer shell electrons and the nucleus, i.e., the atom’s radius. Factors on Which Reactivity Depends onĬhemical reactivity, or simply reactivity, depends upon many factors. Hence, to answer the question of what is reactivity, it can be referred to as how likely or vigorously an atom is to react with other substances. Sometimes, they might produce explosive reactions and are very reactive in chemistry. Highly reactive elements like F, N, O, Na, K, etc., can react vigorously during the chemical process. Generally, this change followed the loss of energy during the process. This change can occur between the same, whether in the same molecule or within different atoms or molecules.

Reactivity in Chemistry measures how voluntarily a substance experiences a chemical change.

While in a mixture, it depends upon the chemical nature of the atoms present in it. In pure compounds, reactivity is controlled by the physical properties of the sample. It is a relative tendency of an element to gain or lose an electron(s) during a chemical reaction. Reactivity in Chemistry refers to the rate at which a chemical substance undergoes a chemical reaction in time. The scientific study of chemical changes and their kinetics is another form of reactivity definition. It is a measurement of how much a substance reacts with others. In general, the reactivity definition is the degree to which a substance shows chemical change when mixed with another substance. In this section, we shall discuss elements’ reactivity and trends in the Periodic Table. But why does it happen? And what is this affinity? How does reactivity vary in the Periodic Table? Like some elements show more affinity to form bonds with others, while some do not show any affinity. There are many observable patterns in elements’ physical and chemical properties as we move across a period or down in a group in the Periodic Table. These trends are broadly divided into two categories, i.e., physical properties and chemical properties. The elements of the Periodic Table show various trends.

Reactivity chart periodic table