Potassium and nickel are in the same row of the periodic table. What do these elements have in common?
They have the same number of valence electrons.
They have the same number of valence electrons.
They have similar physical properties.
They have similar physical properties.
They have the same number of electron shells.
They have the same number of electron shells.
They have similar reactivity.
They have similar reactivity.
They have similar reactivity.
To determine what factors potassium and nickel have in common, we can refer to the periodic table. Both elements are in the same row, which means they have the same number of electron shells. This is because the elements in the same row of the periodic table have sequential atomic numbers, indicating that the number of electron shells increases by one from left to right.
Additionally, elements that are in the same row tend to have similar physical properties. As we move across a row in the periodic table, the elements experience a gradual change in properties due to the changing number of electrons in their outermost energy level (valence shell). Therefore, potassium and nickel, being in the same row, share certain physical properties.
However, it is important to note that potassium and nickel do not have the same number of valence electrons or similar reactivity. Potassium has one valence electron, while nickel has two. This difference in the number of valence electrons contributes to their dissimilar reactivity. Reactivity is determined by the ease with which an element can gain, lose, or share electrons to form compounds, and elements with different valence electron configurations tend to display different reactivity patterns.