Screening Effect (Shielding Effect) : Calculation of Effective or Reduced Nuclear Charge (Slater’s Rules)
Screening effect, also known as shielding effect, explains how inner shell electrons reduce the effective nuclear charge experienced by outer electrons in an atom. Due to this effect, the attraction between the nucleus and valence electrons decreases, influencing atomic size, ionization energy, and other periodic properties. The concept of effective or reduced nuclear charge is quantitatively calculated using Slater’s rules, which provide a systematic method to estimate the shielding contribution of electrons in different orbitals.