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Chemistry  /  Chem 2284  ·  Atom · ~20 seconds

Metallic Character Tracks Ionization Energy

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Metallic character is the tendency to lose valence electrons readily; it rises as ionization energy falls, down a group and leftward across a period.

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Cesium, far down and left, loses its valence electron more easily than any other stable element.

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Metallic character is a matter of degree, not a fixed label; metalloids sit where the trend crosses from metallic to nonmetallic behavior.