Chapter 9, Problem 9.79P

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

The relative hardnesses and melting points of rubidium, vanadium, and cadmium with the use of condensed electron configurations are to be predicted.

Concept introduction:

The electronic configuration tells about the distribution of electrons in various atomic orbitals. The condensed electronic configuration is a way to write the electronic configuration where the inner shell configurations are compressed to the nearest noble gas configuration and only the valence shell configuration is written in the expanded form.

Metallic bonds are formed between metals. A metallic bond is formed between positively charged ions in a sea of delocalized electrons. The electrons in metals are delocalized over the entire metal.

The metallic character is characterized by the tendency of metals to lose their outermost valence shell electrons. Greater the ease of electron removal, higher will be the electropositivity of the corresponding elements and vice versa.