The order of increasing metallic character is:

Question

Accepted Answer

The order of increasing metallic character is determined by the position of elements in the periodic table and their tendency to lose electrons. Metallic character increases as you move from right to left across a period and from top to bottom within a group. Let's analyze the given options based on these principles:

1. **Option 2: $P<Si<Be<Mg<Na$ (Correct Answer)**
   - **Phosphorus (P)** and **Silicon (Si)** are non-metals located in the same period, with phosphorus being to the right of silicon. Therefore, phosphorus has less metallic character than silicon.
   - **Beryllium (Be)** is a metal and is located to the left of both phosphorus and silicon in the periodic table, indicating a higher metallic character than both.
   - **Magnesium (Mg)** is below beryllium in the same group, which means it has a higher metallic character than beryllium.
   - **Sodium (Na)** is to the left of magnesium in the same period, indicating it has the highest metallic character among the elements listed.
   - Therefore, the order $P<Si<Be<Mg<Na$ correctly reflects the increasing metallic character.

2. **Option 1: $Si<P<Be<Na<Mg$**
   - This option incorrectly places silicon before phosphorus, suggesting silicon has less metallic character than phosphorus, which is not true as silicon is more metallic than phosphorus.
   - Additionally, it places magnesium after sodium, which is incorrect because sodium has a higher metallic character than magnesium.

3. **Option 3: $Mg<Na<Be<P<Si$**
   - This option incorrectly suggests that magnesium has less metallic character than sodium, which contradicts the fact that sodium is more metallic.
   - It also places beryllium after sodium, which is incorrect as beryllium is more metallic than both phosphorus and silicon.

4. **Option 4: $P<Si<Na<Mg<Be$**
   - This option incorrectly places magnesium before beryllium, suggesting magnesium has less metallic character than beryllium, which is not true as magnesium is more metallic.
   - It also places sodium before magnesium, which is correct, but the placement of beryllium is incorrect.

In conclusion, Option 2 correctly reflects the order of increasing metallic character based on the periodic trends, making it the correct answer.