Q.For the electrons of oxygen atom, which of the following statements is correct?
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🔒 Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Concept understanding — Effective Nuclear Charge
The Intuition: Why Don't Electrons Just Fly Away?
Imagine you're holding a magnet near a pile of paperclips. The closer the magnet, the stronger the pull. Now imagine you put a sheet of cardboard between the magnet and the paperclips. The pull weakens — the cardboard "shields" the paperclips from the full force of the magnet.
An atom works similarly. The nucleus (positive charge) pulls on the electrons (negative charge). But an electron is not alone — there are other electrons buzzing around between it and the nucleus. Those inner electrons act like the cardboard sheet: they shield or screen the outer electron from feeling the full positive charge of the nucleus.
So an outer electron doesn't "see" the full nuclear charge Z (the atomic number). It sees a smaller, effective charge — the net positive pull after accounting for the repulsion from inner electrons.
That's effective nuclear charge, denoted Zeff.
The Precise Statement
Zeff=Z−S
Where:
- Z = atomic number (total protons in nucleus)
- S = shielding constant (a measure of how much charge is "blocked" by inner electrons)
- Zeff = the net positive charge felt by a given electron
Zeff is always less than Z (except for hydrogen, which has no other electrons to shield — there Zeff=Z).
What Determines the Shielding Constant S?
Not all electrons shield equally. The key rules:
- Inner electrons shield outer electrons very effectively. An electron in the n=1 shell completely blocks about 1 unit of charge from an electron in n=2.
- Electrons in the same shell shield poorly. They're at roughly the same distance, so they don't block much of the nucleus from each other.
- Outer electrons do not shield inner electrons at all. An electron farther out cannot block the nucleus from one closer in.
There are detailed rules (Slater's rules) to calculate S numerically, but the core idea is simple: the more electron shells between an electron and the nucleus, the more shielding, and the lower Zeff.
Why Does This Matter?
Zeff explains three fundamental patterns in the periodic table:
| Trend | What happens to Zeff | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Across a period (left to right) | Increases | Adding protons (Z up) but electrons go into the same shell (shielding roughly constant). Net pull on outer electrons gets stronger. |
| Down a group (top to bottom) | Stays roughly constant or decreases slightly | Adding a new shell means much more shielding. The extra protons are almost completely cancelled by the new inner electrons. |
| Atomic size | Larger Zeff → smaller atom | Stronger pull pulls electrons closer to nucleus. |
This is why fluorine is smaller than lithium, even though fluorine has more protons. The extra protons in fluorine are not fully shielded — the outer electrons feel a much stronger pull.
A Concrete Example: Sodium vs. Chlorine
Sodium (Z=11): Electron configuration 1s22s22p63s1
The outermost electron (3s) is shielded by the 10 inner electrons (1s22s22p6). Roughly, S≈10, so Zeff≈11−10=1. The outer electron feels a pull equivalent to just one proton. …
Concept: Effective Nuclear Charge (Zeff) — the net positive charge experienced by an electron after accounting for shielding by other electrons.
Reasoning:
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For oxygen (Z=8), the 1s electrons experience the full nuclear charge (Zeff≈8), while 2s and 2p electrons are shielded by inner electrons, giving a much lower Zeff≈4.5. So (C) is false.
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Within the same shell, 2s electrons penetrate closer to the nucleus than 2p electrons, so they experience a slightly higher Zeff and are lower in energy. Thus (A) and (B) are false. …
Effective nuclear charge (Zeff) explains why 2s and 2p electrons in oxygen experience different attractions, making option (A) false, (B) false, (C) false, and (D) the correct statement.
The question tests your understanding of effective nuclear charge (Zeff) — the net positive charge experienced by an electron after accounting for shielding by other electrons. In multi-electron atoms, electrons in different orbitals feel different pulls from the nucleus because of differences in penetration and shielding.
For oxygen (atomic number Z=8), the electron configuration is 1s22s22p4. Let’s examine each statement.
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Statement (A): Zeff for a 2s electron equals Zeff for a 2p electron.
This is false. A 2s orbital has a small but real probability of being found near the nucleus (it penetrates the 1s shell more than a 2p orbital does). Greater penetration means less shielding from inner electrons, so a 2s electron experiences a higher Zeff than a 2p electron in the same atom. For oxygen, Zeff(2s)≈4.5 while Zeff(2p)≈4.0 (Slater’s rules confirm this difference).
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Statement (B): A 2s electron has the same energy as a 2p electron.
False. Because Zeff is larger for 2s, the 2s orbital is more tightly bound (lower energy) than 2p. In multi-electron atoms, orbitals within the same principal quantum number n split in energy: E2s<E2p.
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Statement (C): Zeff for a 1s electron equals Zeff for a 2s electron. …
Showing the 12 most recent of 16 on this concept.
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-14-AN1 markMCQQ.Consider the following two statements Statement – I: The order of energies of 2s-orbitals of H, Li and Na is E2s(H)<E2s(Li)<E2s(Na) Statement – II: The photoelectric effect explains the wave nature of light The correct answer is (A) Both statements – I and II are correct (B) Statement – I is correct but Statement – II is not correct (C) Statement – I is not correct but Statement – II is correct (D) Both statements – I and II are not correct
›Reveal solutionSolution
Both statements test classic conceptual traps: orbital-energy ordering across atoms (Statement I) and what the photoelectric effect actually demonstrates (Statement II) — both statements, as worded, are wrong.
Concept and Intuition
Statement I: Comparing "the 2s orbital" across different atoms is not like comparing orbitals within the same atom. Even though all three species have an electron described as "2s", the effective nuclear charge experienced by that electron increases sharply with atomic number (ZH=1, ZLi=3, ZNa=11), since a higher-Z nucleus attracts even a shielded 2s electron much more strongly. A more tightly bound electron has more negative (lower) energy. So going from H to Li to Na, the 2s energy should become progressively more negative — i.e. E2s(Na)<E2s(Li)<E2s(H) — exactly the reverse of the statement's claimed order.
Statement II: The photoelectric effect (instantaneous emission with a threshold frequency, and kinetic energy depending on frequency not intensity) can only be explained by treating light as discrete photons (quanta) — it directly demonstrates the particle nature of light, not the wave nature (which explains interference/diffraction instead).
Step-by-Step Solution
- Evaluate Statement I: higher Z (Na) ⇒ 2s electron more tightly bound ⇒ more negative energy. So actual order is E2s(Na)<E2s(Li)<E2s(H), not E2s(H)<E2s(Li)<E2s(Na) as claimed — Statement I is incorrect. …
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-18-AN1 markMCQQ.In which of the following, elements are not in correct order with respect to the property mentioned in brackets? (A) S<P<N<O (Electronegativity) (B) Br<Ge<Ga<Ca (Atomic radius) (C) Al<Mg<S<P (First ionization enthalpy) (D) Mg<Ca<K<Cs (Metallic nature)
›Reveal solutionSolution
Checking each listed periodic trend against real values shows (A)'s electronegativity order has S and P swapped — the real order is P<S<N<O, not S<P<N<O.
Concept and Intuition
Periodic trends (electronegativity, atomic radius, ionization enthalpy, metallic character) generally increase or decrease smoothly across periods and down groups, but P and S sit close together with a well-known small anomaly worth double-checking against actual Pauling electronegativity values rather than relying purely on the "increases left-to-right" rule of thumb.
Step-by-Step Solution
- (A) Electronegativity — Pauling values: P≈2.1, S≈2.5, N≈3.0, O≈3.5. True increasing order: P<S<N<O. The option states S<P<N<O (S before P) — this is wrong, since S(2.5)>P(2.1), not less.
- (B) Atomic radius — approximate values: Br≈114 pm, Ge≈122 pm, Ga≈135 pm, Ca≈197 pm. Increasing order Br<Ge<Ga<Ca matches the option — correct.
- (C) First ionization enthalpy — approximate values: Al≈577, Mg≈738, S≈1000, P≈1012 kJ/mol. Increasing order Al<Mg<S<P matches (note P's extra stability from a half-filled 3p³ subshell makes it slightly higher than S) — correct. …
- AP EAPCET 2025Set ap-2025-05-19-AN1 markMCQQ.In which of the following, elements are correctly arranged in the decreasing order of atomic radius? (A) Cl>Si>C>F (B) Si>Cl>C>F (C) Si>Cl>F>C (D) Cl>Si>F>C
›Reveal solutionSolution
Comparing periods and groups (Si and Cl in period 3; C and F in period 2; Si/C in group 14; Cl/F in group 17) gives the order Si > Cl > C > F.
Concept and Intuition
Atomic radius increases down a group (extra electron shells) and decreases across a period left-to-right (increasing effective nuclear charge pulling the outer electrons in). Here we have two period-2 elements (C, F) and two period-3 elements (Si, Cl), so we compare within each period first, then note that period-3 elements are generally bigger than period-2 elements due to the extra shell.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Period 3 comparison: Si (group 14) is to the left of Cl (group 17), so Si has lower effective nuclear charge on its valence shell and hence a larger radius: Si>Cl (approx. 117 pm vs 99 pm).
- Period 2 comparison: C (group 14) is to the left of F (group 17), so similarly C>F (approx. 77 pm vs 71 pm). …
- AP EAPCET 2025Set eng-2025-05-24-FN1 markMCQQ.The order of negative electron gain enthalpy of Li, Na, S, Cl is (A) Na > S > Cl > Li (B) Cl > S > Li > Na (C) Cl > Li > S > Na (D) Li > Na > S > Cl
›Reveal solutionSolution
Tests recall/reasoning about periodic trends in electron gain enthalpy; halogens have the most negative values, and among the two alkali metals Li is slightly more negative than Na.
Concept and Intuition
Electron gain enthalpy becomes more negative (a bigger energy release) as atoms get smaller and have a higher effective nuclear charge pulling in the extra electron, generally increasing (more negative) across a period and less negative down a group — though the very first member of a group (like Li) sometimes releases slightly less energy than expected due to small size causing electron-electron repulsion; empirically Li's magnitude is still marginally greater than Na's.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Chlorine, a halogen, has the strongest tendency to gain an electron (achieves a stable octet) — most negative value (≈−349 kJ/mol).
- Sulphur, in group 16, also gains an electron readily but less strongly than a halogen (≈−200 kJ/mol). …
- AP EAPCET 2023Set ap-2023-05-22-FN1 markMCQQ.Which of the following is not correct with the property mentioned against them? (A) I−>I>I+ : radius (B) Li>Be>B : first ionization enthalpy (C) Cl>S>P : electronegativity (D) Rb>K>Na : screening effect
›Reveal solutionSolution
This tests periodic trends; the odd one out is ionization enthalpy across Li, Be, B, because Be's stable, fully-filled 2s² subshell makes it higher than both its neighbours, not the lowest.
Concept and Intuition
Most periodic properties follow smooth trends, but ionization enthalpy across period 2 has a well-known anomaly: Be (with a completely filled 2s² subshell) has a higher first ionization enthalpy than B (which has to remove an electron from the higher-energy, less-penetrating 2p subshell), even though B comes after Be in the period. So the general "increases across a period" rule breaks at the s²→p¹ transition.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Check (A): I−>I>I+ for radius — correct, since adding electrons increases radius (more electron-electron repulsion, same nuclear charge) and removing electrons decreases it.
- Check (C): Cl>S>P for electronegativity — correct, electronegativity generally increases left to right across a period, and Cl (rightmost of the three, closest to a stable octet) is the most electronegative.
- Check (D): Rb>K>Na for screening effect — correct, screening (shielding) increases down a group as more inner shells are added. …
- AP EAPCET 2023Set eng-2023-05-17-AN1 markMCQQ.Which one of the following indicates correct order of atomic size of the given elements? (A) Li>B>F>N (B) N>F>Li>B (C) F>N>B>Li (D) Li>B>N>F
›Reveal solutionSolution
Across period 2, atomic size steadily decreases with increasing atomic number: Li > B > N > F.
Concept and Intuition
Moving left to right across a period, electrons are added to the same principal shell while the nuclear charge (number of protons) increases. The added protons pull the entire electron cloud inward more strongly than the extra shielding from same-shell electrons can compensate for, so atomic radius shrinks fairly steadily across a period. Li, B, N, and F are all period-2 elements with increasing atomic number (3, 5, 7, 9), so their sizes should decrease in that same order.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Identify that Li (Z=3), B (Z=5), N (Z=7), F (Z=9) are all in period 2.
- Apply the general periodic trend: atomic radius decreases left to right across a period.
- Order them by increasing atomic number (Li, B, N, F) and note radius decreases correspondingly: Li (largest) > B > N > F (smallest).
- This matches option (D): Li>B>N>F. …
- AP EAPCET 2023Set eng-2023-05-18-FN1 markMCQQ.The correct order of atomic radii of B, Be, N and C is (A) Be < B < C < N (B) N < B < C < Be (C) N < C < B < Be (D) Be < C < B < N
›Reveal solutionSolution
Moving across Period 2 (Be, B, C, N), increasing nuclear charge with the same principal shell pulls electrons in tighter, so atomic radius steadily decreases; the correct increasing-radius order is N < C < B < Be.
Concept and Intuition
Within a period, all atoms add electrons to the same outermost shell while the nuclear charge (number of protons) increases. Electrons in the same shell do not shield each other very effectively, so the effective nuclear charge felt by outer electrons rises across the period, pulling the electron cloud inward and steadily shrinking atomic radius from left to right.
Step-by-Step Solution
- List the elements in period order: Be (Z=4) < B (Z=5) < C (Z=6) < N (Z=7).
- Since they are in the same period (same principal shell, n=2), radius should decrease as Z increases (left to right).
- So Be has the largest radius, then B, then C, then N has the smallest. …
- AP EAPCET 2022Set eng-2022-07-05-FN1 markMCQQ.Assertion (A): Fluorine has smaller negative electron gain enthalpy than chlorine Reason (R): The electron – electron repulsion is higher in chlorine than in fluorine (A) Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). (B) Both (A) and (R) are correct but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A). (C) (A) is correct but (R) is incorrect. (D) (A) is incorrect but (R) is correct.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Fluorine's smaller (less negative) electron gain enthalpy compared to chlorine is real, but the stated reason has the repulsion backwards — it is fluorine's small size that causes higher electron-electron repulsion, not chlorine's.
Concept and Intuition
Electron gain enthalpy generally becomes more negative going down a group as atoms increase in size and add electrons to progressively larger, less repulsive orbitals — but the very first member of a group is often an anomaly. Fluorine is exceptionally small, so its outermost 2p subshell is already tightly packed with electron density; adding one more electron to this small, compact shell causes unusually large electron-electron repulsion, which offsets much of the favourable nuclear attraction. Chlorine, being noticeably larger (its valence electrons occupy the more diffuse 3p subshell), can accommodate the incoming electron with much less repulsion, so more energy is released — a more negative electron gain enthalpy.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Compare experimental values: ΔegH(F)≈−328 kJ/mol, ΔegH(Cl)≈−349 kJ/mol. Fluorine's value is indeed the smaller (less negative) one — Assertion (A) is true. …
- AP EAPCET 2022Set eng-2022-07-07-FN1 markMCQQ.Observe the following statements. Statement A: - In general, the ionization potential value decreases on moving down in the group. Statement B:- The 1st ionization potential of sodium is greater from that of potassium. Correct answer is (A) Both A and B are wrong (B) Both A and B are correct (C) A is correct but B is wrong (D) A is wrong but B is correct
›Reveal solutionSolution
Ionization potential decreasing down a group (A) and sodium having a higher first ionization potential than potassium (B) are both true, and B is simply a specific instance of the general trend stated in A.
Concept and Intuition
Moving down a group, each successive element adds a new outermost shell, increasing atomic radius and adding inner shielding electrons. The valence electron therefore experiences a weaker effective nuclear pull and is easier to remove, so ionization potential generally decreases going down a group (with some well-known exceptions elsewhere in the periodic table, but not between Na and K).
Step-by-Step Solution
- Statement A: As we move down any group, atomic size increases and shielding increases, so the outermost electron is held less strongly — ionization potential generally decreases down the group. This is the standard periodic trend — true.
- Statement B: Sodium (period 3) lies directly above potassium (period 4) in Group 1. Applying trend A, Na should have a higher ionization potential than K. …
- AP EAPCET 2022Set eng-2022-07-08-AN1 markMCQQ.The correct order of atomic radii of the elements O, N, S and P is (A) N<P<S<O (B) N<O<P<S (C) O<N<P<S (D) O<N<S<P
›Reveal solutionSolution
Using periodic trends (radius decreases across a period, increases down a group), the atomic radii order is O<N<S<P.
Concept and Intuition
Atomic radius trends are governed by two competing effects: across a period, increasing nuclear charge pulls the same-shell electrons in tighter, so radius decreases left to right; down a group, an additional electron shell is added, so radius increases. Here we're comparing two period-2 elements (N, O — adjacent, Group 15 and 16) and two period-3 elements (P, S — directly below N and O). Since period-3 atoms have an extra electron shell compared to period-2, even period-3 S (further right, smaller within its period) is still noticeably larger than either period-2 element.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Within period 2: N (Z=7) is to the left of O (Z=8), so N has a larger radius than O — i.e., O<N.
- Within period 3: P (Z=15) is to the left of S (Z=16), so P has a larger radius than S — i.e., S<P. …
- AP EAPCET 2021Set ap-2021-09-03-FN1 markMCQQ.Match the following: Column-I:(a) F(b) Cl(c) He(d) Cs. Column-II:(i) Maximum ionization enthalpy(ii) Maximum atomic radius(iii) Maximum electro negativity(iv) Maximum negative electron gain enthalpy (A) (a - iv), (b - iii), (c - i), (d - ii) (B) (a - iii), (b - i), (c - iv), (d - ii) (C) (a - iii), (b - iv), (c - i), (d - ii) (D) (a - i), (b - iv), (c - iii), (d - ii)
›Reveal solutionSolution
This tests four separate periodic-trend facts simultaneously: electronegativity (F is highest), electron gain enthalpy (Cl is most negative, not F), ionization enthalpy (He is highest of all elements), and atomic radius (Cs is largest among common elements). The answer is (a-iii),(b-iv),(c-i),(d-ii), option (C).
Concept and Intuition
Several periodic properties peak at different elements due to subtle competing effects, and this question tests whether those exceptions are known precisely:
- Electronegativity increases across a period and decreases down a group, so fluorine — top-right of the periodic table (excluding noble gases) — has the single highest electronegativity of any element.
- Electron gain enthalpy (energy released on adding an electron) would naively also peak at fluorine, but fluorine's very small atomic size causes significant electron-electron repulsion when an extra electron is forced into its already-compact 2p subshell. This makes chlorine's electron gain enthalpy more negative than fluorine's — a classic periodic-trend exception.
- Ionization enthalpy is highest for noble gases, since their filled shell configuration is exceptionally stable; helium, being the smallest and having only a 1s2 shell, has the highest ionization enthalpy of all elements.
- Atomic radius increases down a group and decreases across a period; caesium, at the bottom-left of the practically-occurring elements, has one of the largest atomic radii.
Step-by-Step Solution
- (a) F → maximum electronegativity → matches (iii). …
- AP EAPCET 2021Set ap-2021-09-07-FN1 markMCQQ.Which order among the following is incorrect? (A) NH3<PH3<AsH3 : (Acidic nature) (B) Li<Be<B<C : IE1 (ΔiH1) (C) Al2O3<MgO<Na2O<K2O : (Basic nature) (D) Li+<Na+<K+<Cs+ : (Ionic radius)
›Reveal solutionSolution
This tests knowledge of periodic-trend exceptions, specifically the anomalous first ionisation energy order among Li, Be, B, C; the answer is (B).
Concept and Intuition
While ionisation energy generally increases across a period, there are two well-known anomalies in Period 2: Be (fully-filled 2s2, extra stable) has a higher IE1 than B (whose lone 2p1 electron is easier to remove, being in a higher-energy, less-penetrating orbital), and similarly N (half-filled 2p3) has a higher IE1 than O. So the actual trend across Li→Be→B→C is NOT monotonic if we naively expect increase; specifically Be > B.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Recall/reconstruct actual IE1 values (kJ/mol): Li ≈ 520, Be ≈ 899, B ≈ 801, C ≈ 1086.
- Ordering these: Li (520) < B (801) < Be (899) < C (1086).
- Option (B) claims Li < Be < B < C, i.e., Be < B — this contradicts the actual values (Be > B), so option (B) is the incorrect order. …
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