CHEMICAL REACTIVITY TRENDS
A couple factors will determine how likely and element will react to another element. One factor is Ionization Energy, Ionization Energy is how easily and element can remove its electrons.
Another factor is the Electronegativity of the element, which determine how badly an element wants to take other electrons from other elements.
Metals:
- Chemical Reactivity decrease as you go left to right of the periodic table
- Chemical Reactivity increases as you go down the group
This happens because as you go down a group, it is easier for electrons to be taken or given away, resulting in high Chemical Reactivity. And you go from left to right on the periodic table elements have more electrons in their valence shells they have to get rid off which requires an element to have high energies which results into lower Chemical Reactivity.
Non-Metals
- Chemical Reactivity increases as you go left to right of the periodic table
- Chemical Reactivity decrease as you go down the group
For Non-Metals, the farther right-up in the table you go, the higher the electronegativity. That is why as you go up a group Chemical Reactivity increases because it is easier for elements to gain electrons when they have high electronegativity. And the farther they are from the righ side of the table, the weaker their electronegativity is, resulting in lower Chemical Reactivity.