Why do some metals react more than others?
It is to do with how many electrons it has and how readily they can form bonds. For example, in Group 1, the reactivity increases as you go down the group. This is because these metals react by losing electrons, as you go down a group, the atoms get larger and the distance between the outer electron and the nucleus is larger. Therefore, the attraction between the nucleus and the electron is less and it can be lost or shared more easily to form a bond as you go down the group. The opposite applies to group 7 halogens. They react by gaining electrons, as the atoms are smaller at the top of the group, Fl is the most reactive halogen. This is because Fl’s outer shell is closest to its nucleus than all the other halogens, so there is most electrostatic attraction between the nucleus and the outer most shell. This enables Fl to accept electrons easily and react with virtually any other element.
