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The effective nuclear charge (Zeff) is the net positive charge experienced by an electron in an atom. It's calculated using the following steps:
1. Identify the atomic number (Z): This represents the number of protons in the nucleus and thus the total positive charge.
2. Determine the number of core electrons (n): These are the inner electrons that are not in the valence shell.
3. Calculate the effective nuclear charge (Zeff): Zeff = Z - n
Example: For Chlorine (Cl), with an atomic number (Z) of 17 and 10 core electrons, the effective nuclear charge is Zeff = 17 - 10 = 7.
This means that each valence electron in chlorine experiences a net positive charge of +7 from the nucleus, after taking into account the shielding effect of the core electrons.