Lesson Plan

Lesson: Variations in Physical Properties Across Periods 2 and 3

Aim: To investigate the variation in physical properties with proton numbers across the 2nd and 3rd periods
in terms of variation in melting points, boiling points and ionisation energies.

Learning Outcomes :

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to :

1. explain the variation in melting and boiling points across Periods 2 and 3, in terms of structure and
bonding.
2. explain the trends and changes in 1st ionisation energy across Periods 2 and 3, in terms of increasing
nuclear charge and filling of orbitals.

Assumed prior knowledge :

Students should already :

1. be familiar with the elements in Periods 2 and 3.
2. be familiar with metallic, covalent and ionic bonding.
3. be familiar with giant metallic, ionic and covalent network structures for solids.
4. be familiar with factors that determine the strength of intermolecular force.

Underlying Principles

1. Making the invisible, visible.

2. Enabling students to know what they should look for.
3. Managing data and interpreting it graphically.

Time taken to complete the activities : 80 minutes

Differentiation

Questions in the student notes are designed to enable all students to complete the activity. The pop-up
answers are provided for the students to view when they have considered their responses. Worksheet
questions include questions that require recall, understanding and application of the new concepts
learned.

© 2003 Ministry Of Education Malaysia. All Rights Reserved. 1

 Development of Lesson :

No. Steps Strategy Resources

1 Set Induction. • Teacher quizzes students • Courseware
(Ascertaining prior on the link between the change in
knowledge and electrical conductivity with the
introducing lesson bonding and structure of elements
topic for the day). in Periods 2 and 3.

• Teacher to introduce aims and

objectives of the lesson.

2 Student Activity Teacher to go through Activities 1 • Courseware

and 2 with the students.

• Activity 1: Trends in melting

and boiling points
Get students to investigate the
trends in melting and boiling
points across Periods 2 and 3
and to relate the trends observed
to the changes in structure and
bonding of the elements across
the periods.

• Activity 2: Trends in 1st

Ionisation energy
Get students to investigate the
trends in 1st ionisation energy
across Periods 2 and 3
graphically. They can then relate
the trends observed to the
electronic configuration and the
atomic radii of the atoms
concerned.

3 Evaluation • Students to answer questions in • Worksheet

the student worksheet on their
own.

4 Extension activity • Students to go through extension • Websites

activities on their own. • Reference
books

© 2003 Ministry Of Education Malaysia. All Rights Reserved. 2

 Worksheet Answers.

1. Trends in melting and boiling points.

1.1 The melting points start fairly high and increase to a maximum in the middle of the periods. There is
then a drastic drop to relatively low values for the rest of the period. The lowest value is for the noble
gases.

1.2 a. In beryllium there is metallic bonding. This is very strong because beryllium atoms are small and the
outer electrons are close to the nucleus. Therefore, the metallic bonding resulting from the
attraction between the metallic ions in the lattice and the delocalised valence electrons holding
them together will be strong.

b. In silicon, each atom is covalently linked to four other atoms in a giant network, like diamond. The
melting point is high because many strong bonds will have to be broken if the lattice is to collapse to
a liquid.

1.3 In diamond, the strong covalent bonds form a giant network linking all the atoms in the crystal
together. A lot of energy is needed to break these covalent bonds in order for diamond to melt.
Oxygen consists of simple molecules with only weak van der Waals forces between them. Less
energy is needed to break these forces.

1.4 a. The enthalpy of vaporisation should, like the boiling point, rise to a maximum towards the middle of
the periods and then suddenly to much lower values for the rest of the period.

b. Higher. The metals in Period 2 have higher melting and boiling points than the corresponding
metals in Period 3. This is because the atoms of the metals in Period 2 are smaller resulting in
strong metallic bonds. More energy is needed to break the stronger metallic bonds.

c. Lower. The melting and boiling points for the last 4 elements in Period 2 are very low. This is
because they consist of small molecules with very weak forces of attraction between them. Their
enthalpies of vaporisation should also be very low as a result. In Period 3 the molecules of the non-
metals are much larger, with greater forces of attraction between them.

© 2003 Ministry Of Education Malaysia. All Rights Reserved. 3

 2. Trends in 1st ionisation energy.

2.1 a. Across each period the effective nuclear charge increases thus pulling the valence electrons closer to
the nucleus.

b. The 1st ionisation energy of magnesium is larger than that of sodium, because although the outer
electron is in the same (3s) orbital, the nuclear charge increases by +1. Therefore, the valence
electron in magnesium is more strongly held and needs more energy to remove it.

The size of the beryllium atom is smaller than that of the magnesium atom. The effective nuclear
charge of both is almost similar. Therefore, the attraction between the valence electrons and the
nucleus is greater.

2.2 a. The valence electronic configuration of magnesium is 3s2 whereas for aluminium, it is 3s2, 3p1. The
full s orbital of magnesium is more stable than the partially filled p orbital of aluminium.

b. The effective nuclear charge for chlorine is greater than that for sulphur while its
atomic size is smaller. Therefore, it requires more energy to remove the valence
electrons from chlorine than sulphur.

© 2003 Ministry Of Education Malaysia. All Rights Reserved. 4