Period 3 Elements

A period 3 element is one of the chemical elements in

the third row of the periodic table of the chemical
elements.

The third period contains eight elements:

i. Sodium
ii. Magnesium
iii. Aluminium
iv. Silicon
v. Phosphorus
vi. Sulphur
vii. Chlorine
viii.Argon
Chemical Properties of Element

i. Atomic radius
The diagram shows how the atomic radius changes as you go across Period 3.

The figures used to construct this diagram are based on:

-metallic radii for Na, Mg and Al;
-covalent radii for Si, P, S and Cl;
-the van der Waals radius for Ar because it doesn't form any
strong bonds.

A metallic or covalent radius is going to be a measure of the distance from the

nucleus to the bonding pair of electrons. From sodium to chlorine, the bonding
electrons are all in the 3-level, being screened by the electrons in the first and
second levels. The increasing number of protons in the nucleus as you go across
the period pulls the bonding electrons more tightly to it. The amount of screening
is constant for all of these elements.
ii. Electronegativity

Electronegativity is a measure of the tendency of an atom to

attract a bonding pair of electrons.
The Pauling scale is the most commonly used. Fluorine (the
most electronegative element) is assigned a value of 4.0, and
values range down to caesium and francium which are the
least electronegative at 0.7.

Notice that argon isn't included. Electronegativity is about

the tendency of an atom to attract a bonding pair of
electrons. Since argon doesn't form covalent bonds, you
obviously can't assign it an electronegativity.
Chemical Reactions

Reactions with water

Sodium Phosphorus
No reaction

Magnesium Chlorine

Aluminium Argon
No reaction

Silicon
Reactions with oxygen

Sodium Phosphorus

For the simple oxide: For the phosphorus(III) oxide:

For the peroxide: For the phosphorus(V) oxide:

Magnesium Sulphur

Aluminium Chlorine and argon

No reaction.

Silicon
Reactions with chlorine

Sodium Phosphorus

Phosphorus(III) chloride is a colourless

fuming liquid.
Magnesium

Phosphorus(V) chloride is an off-white (going

Aluminium towards yellow) solid.

Silicon Sulphur

Chlorine and argon

No reaction.