<P> Electron affinity generally increases across a period . This is caused by the filling of the valence shell of the atom; a group 17 atom releases more energy than a group 1 atom on gaining an electron because it obtains a filled valence shell and is therefore more stable . </P> <P> A trend of decreasing electron affinity going down groups would be expected . The additional electron will be entering an orbital farther away from the nucleus . As such this electron would be less attracted to the nucleus and would release less energy when added . However, in going down a group, around one - third of elements are anomalous, with heavier elements having higher electron affinities than their next lighter congenors . Largely, this is due to the poor shielding by d and f electrons . A uniform decrease in electron affinity only applies to group 1 atoms . </P> <P> The lower the values of ionization energy, electronegativity and electron affinity, the more metallic character the element has . Conversely, nonmetallic character increases with higher values of these properties . Given the periodic trends of these three properties, metallic character tends to decrease going across a period (or row) and, with some irregularities (mostly) due to poor screening of the nucleus by d and f electrons, and relativistic effects, tends to increase going down a group (or column or family). Thus, the most metallic elements (such as caesium and francium) are found at the bottom left of traditional periodic tables and the most nonmetallic elements (oxygen, fluorine, chlorine) at the top right . The combination of horizontal and vertical trends in metallic character explains the stair - shaped dividing line between metals and nonmetals found on some periodic tables, and the practice of sometimes categorizing several elements adjacent to that line, or elements adjacent to those elements, as metalloids . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> <Table> <Tr> <Td> Hydrogen </Td> <Td_colspan="30"> </Td> <Td> Helium </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Lithium </Td> <Td> Beryllium </Td> <Td_colspan="24"> </Td> <Td> Boron </Td> <Td> Carbon </Td> <Td> Nitrogen </Td> <Td> Oxygen </Td> <Td> Fluorine </Td> <Td> Neon </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Sodium </Td> <Td> Magnesium </Td> <Td_colspan="24"> </Td> <Td> Aluminium </Td> <Td> Silicon </Td> <Td> Phosphorus </Td> <Td> Sulfur </Td> <Td> Chlorine </Td> <Td> Argon </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Potassium </Td> <Td> Calcium </Td> <Td> Scandium </Td> <Td_colspan="14"> </Td> <Td> Titanium </Td> <Td> Vanadium </Td> <Td> Chromium </Td> <Td> Manganese </Td> <Td> Iron </Td> <Td> Cobalt </Td> <Td> Nickel </Td> <Td> Copper </Td> <Td> Zinc </Td> <Td> Gallium </Td> <Td> Germanium </Td> <Td> Arsenic </Td> <Td> Selenium </Td> <Td> Bromine </Td> <Td> Krypton </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Rubidium </Td> <Td> Strontium </Td> <Td> Yttrium </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td_colspan="13"> </Td> <Td> Zirconium </Td> <Td> Niobium </Td> <Td> Molybdenum </Td> <Td> Technetium </Td> <Td> Ruthenium </Td> <Td> Rhodium </Td> <Td> Palladium </Td> <Td> Silver </Td> <Td> Cadmium </Td> <Td> Indium </Td> <Td> Tin </Td> <Td> Antimony </Td> <Td> Tellurium </Td> <Td> Iodine </Td> <Td> Xenon </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Caesium </Td> <Td> Barium </Td> <Td> Lanthanum </Td> <Td> Cerium </Td> <Td> Praseodymium </Td> <Td> Neodymium </Td> <Td> Promethium </Td> <Td> Samarium </Td> <Td> Europium </Td> <Td> Gadolinium </Td> <Td> Terbium </Td> <Td> Dysprosium </Td> <Td> Holmium </Td> <Td> Erbium </Td> <Td> Thulium </Td> <Td> Ytterbium </Td> <Td> Lutetium </Td> <Td> Hafnium </Td> <Td> Tantalum </Td> <Td> Tungsten </Td> <Td> Rhenium </Td> <Td> Osmium </Td> <Td> Iridium </Td> <Td> Platinum </Td> <Td> Gold </Td> <Td> Mercury (element) </Td> <Td> Thallium </Td> <Td> Lead </Td> <Td> Bismuth </Td> <Td> Polonium </Td> <Td> Astatine </Td> <Td> Radon </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Francium </Td> <Td> Radium </Td> <Td> Actinium </Td> <Td> Thorium </Td> <Td> Protactinium </Td> <Td> Uranium </Td> <Td> Neptunium </Td> <Td> Plutonium </Td> <Td> Americium </Td> <Td> Curium </Td> <Td> Berkelium </Td> <Td> Californium </Td> <Td> Einsteinium </Td> <Td> Fermium </Td> <Td> Mendelevium </Td> <Td> Nobelium </Td> <Td> Lawrencium </Td> <Td> Rutherfordium </Td> <Td> Dubnium </Td> <Td> Seaborgium </Td> <Td> Bohrium </Td> <Td> Hassium </Td> <Td> Meitnerium </Td> <Td> Darmstadtium </Td> <Td> Roentgenium </Td> <Td> Copernicium </Td> <Td> Nihonium </Td> <Td> Flerovium </Td> <Td> Moscovium </Td> <Td> Livermorium </Td> <Td> Tennessine </Td> <Td> Oganesson </Td> </Tr> </Table> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 32 - column periodic table showing, from left to right, the location of group 3; lutetium and lawrencium; groups 11--12; and the noble gases </Td> </Tr> </Table>

How many groups does the periodic table have