The effective nuclear charge is the net charge an electron experiences in an atom with multiple electrons. The effective nuclear charge may be approximated by the equation:
Zeff = Z - S
Where Z is the atomic number and S is the number of shielding electrons.
Higher energy electrons can have other lower energy electrons between the electron and the nucleus, effectively lowering the positive charge experienced by the high energy electron.
The shielding effect is the name given to the balance between the attraction between valence electrons and protons and the repulsion between valence and inner electrons. The shielding effect explains the trend in atomic size on the periodic table and also why valence electrons are readily removed from an atom.
Examples
A 2s lithium electron can have 2 1s electrons between itself and the lithium nucleus. Measurements indicate the effective nuclear charge experienced by a 2s lithium electron is 0.43 times the charge of the lithium nucleus.
Slater's rules may be used to calculate an effective nuclear charge:
H | He | |||||||||||||||||
Z | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
1s | 1.000 | 1.688 | ||||||||||||||||
Li | Be | B | C | N | O | F | Ne | |||||||||||
Z | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ||||||||||
1s | 2.691 | 3.685 | 4.680 | 5.673 | 6.665 | 7.658 | 8.650 | 9.642 | ||||||||||
2s | 1.279 | 1.912 | 2.576 | 3.217 | 3.847 | 4.492 | 5.128 | 5.758 | ||||||||||
2p | 2.421 | 3.136 | 3.834 | 4.453 | 5.100 | 5.758 | ||||||||||||
Na | Mg | Al | Si | P | S | Cl | Ar | |||||||||||
Z | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | ||||||||||
1s | 10.626 | 11.609 | 12.591 | 13.575 | 14.558 | 15.541 | 16.524 | 17.508 | ||||||||||
2s | 6.571 | 7.392 | 8.214 | 9.020 | 9.825 | 10.629 | 11.430 | 12.230 | ||||||||||
2p | 6.802 | 7.826 | 8.963 | 9.945 | 10.961 | 11.977 | 12.993 | 14.008 | ||||||||||
3s | 2.507 | 3.308 | 4.117 | 4.903 | 5.642 | 6.367 | 7.068 | 7.757 | ||||||||||
3p | 4.066 | 4.285 | 4.886 | 5.482 | 6.116 | 6.764 | ||||||||||||
K | Ca | Sc | Ti | V | Cr | Mn | Fe | Co | Ni | Cu | Zn | Ga | Ge | As | Se | Br | Kr | |
Z | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 |
1s | 18.490 | 19.473 | 20.457 | 21.441 | 22.426 | 23.414 | 24.396 | 25.381 | 26.367 | 27.353 | 28.339 | 29.325 | 30.309 | 31.294 | 32.278 | 33.262 | 34.247 | 35.232 |
2s | 13.006 | 13.776 | 14.574 | 15.377 | 16.181 | 16.984 | 17.794 | 18.599 | 19.405 | 20.213 | 21.020 | 21.828 | 22.599 | 23.365 | 24.127 | 24.888 | 25.643 | 26.398 |
2p | 15.027 | 16.041 | 17.055 | 18.065 | 19.073 | 20.075 | 21.084 | 22.089 | 23.092 | 24.095 | 25.097 | 26.098 | 27.091 | 28.082 | 29.074 | 30.065 | 31.056 | 26.047 |
3s | 8.680 | 9.602 | 10.340 | 11.033 | 11.709 | 12.368 | 13.018 | 13.676 | 14.322 | 14.961 | 15.594 | 16.219 | 16.996 | 17.790 | 18.596 | 19.403 | 20.219 | 21.033 |
3p | 7.726 | 8.658 | 9.406 | 10.104 | 10.785 | 11.466 | 12.109 | 12.778 | 13.435 | 14.085 | 14.731 | 15.369 | 16.204 | 17.014 | 17.850 | 18.705 | 19.571 | 20.434 |
4s | 3.495 | 4.398 | 4.632 | 4.817 | 4.981 | 5.133 | 5.283 | 5.434 | 5.576 | 5.711 | 5.842 | 5.965 | 7.067 | 8.044 | 8.944 | 9.758 | 10.553 | 11.316 |
3d | 7.120 | 8.141 | 8.983 | 9.757 | 10.528 | 11.180 | 11.855 | 12.530 | 13.201 | 13.878 | 15.093 | 16.251 | 17.378 | 18.477 | 19.559 | 20.626 | ||
4p | 6.222 | 6.780 | 7.449 | 8.287 | 9.028 | 9.338 | ||||||||||||
Rb | Sr | Y | Zr | Nb | Mo | Tc | Ru | Rh | Pd | Ag | Cd | In | Sn | Sb | Te | I | Xe | |
Z | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 |
1s | 36.208 | 37.191 | 38.176 | 39.159 | 40.142 | 41.126 | 42.109 | 43.092 | 44.076 | 45.059 | 46.042 | 47.026 | 48.010 | 48.992 | 49.974 | 50.957 | 51.939 | 52.922 |
2s | 27.157 | 27.902 | 28.622 | 29.374 | 30.125 | 30.877 | 31.628 | 32.380 | 33.155 | 33.883 | 34.634 | 35.386 | 36.124 | 36.859 | 37.595 | 38.331 | 39.067 | 39.803 |
2p | 33.039 | 34.030 | 35.003 | 35.993 | 36.982 | 37.972 | 38.941 | 39.951 | 40.940 | 41.930 | 42.919 | 43.909 | 44.898 | 45.885 | 46.873 | 47.860 | 48.847 | 49.835 |
3s | 21.843 | 22.664 | 23.552 | 24.362 | 25.172 | 25.982 | 26.792 | 27.601 | 28.439 | 29.221 | 30.031 | 30.841 | 31.631 | 32.420 | 33.209 | 33.998 | 34.787 | 35.576 |
3p | 21.303 | 22.168 | 23.093 | 23.846 | 24.616 | 25.474 | 26.384 | 27.221 | 28.154 | 29.020 | 29.809 | 30.692 | 31.521 | 32.353 | 33.184 | 34.009 | 34.841 | 35.668 |
4s | 12.388 | 13.444 | 14.264 | 14.902 | 15.283 | 16.096 | 17.198 | 17.656 | 18.582 | 18.986 | 19.865 | 20.869 | 21.761 | 22.658 | 23.544 | 24.408 | 25.297 | 26.173 |
3d | 21.679 | 22.726 | 25.397 | 25.567 | 26.247 | 27.228 | 28.353 | 29.359 | 30.405 | 31.451 | 32.540 | 33.607 | 34.678 | 35.742 | 36.800 | 37.839 | 38.901 | 39.947 |
4p | 10.881 | 11.932 | 12.746 | 13.460 | 14.084 | 14.977 | 15.811 | 16.435 | 17.140 | 17.723 | 18.562 | 19.411 | 20.369 | 21.265 | 22.181 | 23.122 | 24.030 | 24.957 |
5s | 4.985 | 6.071 | 6.256 | 6.446 | 5.921 | 6.106 | 7.227 | 6.485 | 6.640 | (empty) | 6.756 | 8.192 | 9.512 | 10.629 | 11.617 | 12.538 | 13.404 | 14.218 |
4d | 15.958 | 13.072 | 11.238 | 11.392 | 12.882 | 12.813 | 13.442 | 13.618 | 14.763 | 15.877 | 16.942 | 17.970 | 18.974 | 19.960 | 20.934 | 21.893 | ||
5p | 8.470 | 9.102 | 9.995 | 10.809 | 11.612 | 12.425 |
Reference
Clementi, E.; Raimondi, D. L.; Reinhardt, W. P. (1967). "Atomic Screening Constants from SCF Functions. II. Atoms with 37 to 86 Electrons". Journal of Chemical Physics. 47: 1300–1307.