Why does the amount of protons in an element wildly change its properties? For example: why is two protons a gas, but suddenly three protons is a metallic solid?

Question

Why does the amount of protons in an element wildly change its properties? For example: why is two protons a gas, but suddenly three protons is a metallic solid?

In: 109

Answer 1

_generally_, an element’s chemical properties aren’t directly decided by its number of protons, but by its outermost (valence) electrons. Its atomic number (# of protons) does effect how many electrons it has, but their “positions” (electrons are quantum particles, so ideas like “location” don’t apply to them like they apply to normal things) is controlled by more complex factors.

There are yet more complex factors, but this is eli5