Consider the following statements with reference to the Periodic Table of chemical elements: I. lionisation potential gradually decreases along a period. II. In a group of elements, electron affinity decreases as the atomic weight increases. III. In a given period, electronegativity decreases as the atomic number increases. Which of these statement(s) is/are correct?

The correct answer is B because only statement II is scientifically accurate according to periodic trends. Statement I is incorrect because ionization potential generally increases along a period from left to right. This is due to the increase in nuclear charge and decrease in atomic size, which makes it harder to remove an electron. Statement II is correct because in a group of elements, electron affinity generally decreases as the atomic weight increases. As you move down a group, the atomic size increases and the incoming electron is farther from the nucleus, resulting in a weaker attraction. Statement III is incorrect because electronegativity increases as the atomic number increases across a period. As the nuclear charge increases and the atomic radius shrinks, the atoms ability to attract a shared pair of electrons becomes stronger.