The first of these, and the simplest, is the nuclear charge (sometimes referred to as the actual nuclear charge). The nuclear charge is the total charge of all the protons in the nucleus. It has the same value as the atomic number. The nuclear charge increases you go across the periodic table. As you get to the end of one period and you go to the beginning of the next period, the atomic number and the nuclear charge continues to increase. Consequently, there is no periodic or repeating nature to the nuclear charge. The nuclear charge just keeps increasing. This is true whether you go across the period or down a group.

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