Which experiences a greater effective nuclear charge, an electron in the outer shell of neon (atomic number 10)or an electron in the outer shell of sodium (atomic number 11)?
A)sodium because it contains more protons
B)neon because of less inner shell shielding
C)sodium because it contains a greater number of shells
D)neon because it is a smaller atom

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Effective nuclear charge refers to the net positive charge that an electron experiences in an atom, which is influenced not only by the number of protons in the nucleus but also by the shielding effect of inner electrons. Both neon and sodium have the same number of inner electrons, but neon has a smaller atomic radius because it has fewer shells. This means that the outer-shell electrons in neon are closer to the nucleus and experience a greater effective nuclear charge, making choice B the correct answer.

Which Experiences a Greater Effective Nuclear Charge, an Electron in the Outer