Effective Nuclear Charge

Definition

Effective nuclear charge refers to the net positive charge experienced by an electron in a multi-electron atom. It's not the full nuclear charge because some of this charge is shielded by other electrons in the atom.

Analogy

Imagine you're at a concert trying to listen to your favorite singer. The people between you and the stage are like inner shell electrons, they block or "shield" some of the sound (or positive charge) from reaching you. So, what you hear (the effective nuclear charge) is less than what's actually being produced on stage (the actual nuclear charge).

Related terms

Shielding Effect: This refers to the decrease in attraction between an electron and the nucleus in any atom with more than one electron shell.

Atomic Radius: This is half the distance between two nuclei of two identical atoms bonded together. It can be affected by both effective nuclear charge and shielding effect.

Ionization Energy: This is the energy required to remove an electron from a gaseous atom or ion. It's directly related to effective nuclear charge - higher effective nuclear charges generally mean higher ionization energies.