Activity: Periodic Trends Investigation

Submitted by:
Summary
Steve Smith
In this activity, students investigate trends in atomic radius, electron Animas High School in
affinity, and ionization energy using an online interactive periodic Durango, Colorado
table.
Thanks to:
PASCO
Resource Type Grade Level
Activity High school

Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to
• explain the trends in atomic radius across rows and down columns of the periodic table.
• explain the trends in electron affinity across rows and down columns of the periodic
table.
• explain the trends in ionization energy across rows and down columns of the periodic
table.
• explain the relationships between the above periodic trends.

Chemistry Topics
This lesson supports students’ understanding of
• Trends of the periodic table
• Atomic radius
• Electron affinity
• Ionization energy

Time
Teacher Preparation: No time
Lesson: 2.5 hours

Materials
For each group:
• Laptop with internet access
• Graph of atomic radius vs atomic number
• Graph of ionization energy vs atomic number
• Chart of first, second, and third ionization energies

Safety
There are no special safety considerations for this activity.

Teacher Notes
• The tables and graphs needed for this activity can usually be found in a chemistry
textbook

FOR THE STUDENT

Student Activity Sheet: Periodic Trends Investigation
Lesson
In this activity, you will discover the periodic trends of atomic radius, ionization
energy, and electron affinity.

Answer the following questions before beginning this investigation.

1. Describe the trends you are aware of that exist on the periodic table.
2. Define atomic radius, ionization energy and electron affinity.

ATOMIC RADIUS
Use the interactive periodic table found at www.chemicool.com to help you answer
the following questions.
1. Find the atomic radius of the first three elements in rows two, three, and
four. Record them below.

2. What appears to be the trend in the atomic radius as you move left to right
across a period?
3. What appears to be the trend in the atomic radius as you move from top to
bottom down a column?
4. Predict the atomic radii of C, N, Si, P, Ti, and V using the trend you described
in question two. Check the actual values using the interactive periodic table.
How well do your predictions match the actual values?
5. Predict the atomic radii of Rb, Cs, Sr, and Ba using the trend you described in
question three. Check the actual values using the interactive periodic table.
How well do your predictions match the actual values?
6. Categorize the trend in atomic radius as generally true or absolutely true.
Defend your categorization with evidence.
7. Look at a graph of atomic radius vs. atomic number. How well do the trends
you observed match the graph?
8. Create a hypothesis to explain the trend across a period (row).
9. Create a hypothesis to explain the trend within a group (column).

IONIZATION ENERGY
Use the interactive periodic table found at www.chemicool.com to help you answer
the following questions.
1. Find the first ionization energy of the first four elements in rows two, three,
and four.
 2. What appears to be the trend in the first ionization energy as you move left
to right across a period?
3. What appears to be the trend in the first ionization energy as you move from
top to bottom down a column?
4. Predict the first ionization energy of N, O, P, S, V, and Cr using the trend you
described in question two. Check the actual values using the interactive
periodic table. How well do your predictions match the actual values?
5. Predict the first ionization energy of Rb, Cs, Sr, and Ba using the trend you
described in question three. Check the actual values using the interactive
periodic table. How well do your predictions match the actual values?
6. Categorize the trend in ionization energy as generally true or absolutely true.
Defend your categorization with evidence.
7. Look at a graph of ionization energy vs. atomic number. How well do the
trends you observed match the graph?
8. Create a hypothesis to explain the trend across a period (row).
9. Create a hypothesis to explain the trend within a group (column).
10.Define second and third ionization energy.
11.Look at a chart of first, second, and third ionization energies. Describe how
the first, second, and third ionization energies compare to one another.
Create a hypothesis to explain your observations.
12.Examine the changes in ionization energy that take place as an atom goes
from an electron configuration of a noble gas to an electron configuration of a
halogen. How does the increase in ionization energy compare to other
increases?

ELECTRON AFFINITY
Use the interactive periodic table found at www.chemicool.com to help you answer
the following questions.
1. Find the electron affinity of elements in rows two, three, and four. Keep
looking up values until you think you have enough information to answer
questions two through six.
2. What appears to be the trend in the electron affinity as you move left to right
across a period?
3. What appears to be the trend in the electron affinity as you move from top to
bottom down a column?
4. Categorize the trend in electron affinity as generally true or absolutely true.
Defend your categorization with evidence.
5. Create a hypothesis to explain the trend across a period (row).
6. Create a hypothesis to explain the trend within a group (column).

Analysis
1. Sketch a periodic table. Draw two color coded arrows for each of the trends
you investigated showing the direction in periods and in rows the values
increase.
2. Which trends are directly correlated and which are inverses of each other?
Discuss why certain trends may be correlated and others may be inversely
related.
3. Examine all of your hypotheses. List and describe any unifying ideas you can
use to explain all of the periodic trends.