The smallest particle of an element that still retains the chemical properties of it is an atom.
Explanation:
Metals are the species which readily lose electrons in order to attain stability. This electron lost by the atom is actually present in its outermost shell which is also known as valence shell.
Ionization energy is defined as the energy required to remove the most loosely bound electron from a neutral gaseous atom.
When we move across a period from left to right then there occurs a decrease in atomic size of the atoms. Therefore, ionization energy increases along a period.
But when we move down a group then there occurs an increase in atomic size of the atoms due to addition of number of electrons in the atoms. Hence, ionization energy decreases along a group.
Thus, we can conclude that metals have low ionization energies and readily share their valence or outer electrons with each other to form an electron sea. These electrons are delocalized or shared among all the atoms that are bonded together and can therefore move freely throughout the metal structure.
Measure the brightness of a star through two filters and compare the ratio of red to blue light.
