How does the loss or gain of an electron affect the atomic radius?

1 Answer
anor277
Dec 18, 2017

Is not the atomic radius defined by the orbit of the valence electron?

Explanation:

And thus oxidation should reduce the atomic radius (i.e. #"the ionic radius"# is reduced with respect to the parent atom):

#"Atom" +Deltararrunderbrace("Atom"^(+))_"smaller cation" + e^(-)#

And reduction should INCREASE the radius with respect to the parent atom.

#"Atom" +e^(-)rarrunderbrace("Atom"^(-))_"larger anion"#

This is good illustration that illustrates this principle:

commons.wikimedia.org

And, as is typical, metals, electron-rich materials, lose electrons to form cations. And non-metals, electron-poor materials from the right hand side of the Table (i.e. with enhanced nuclear charge), accept electrons to form anions. The units are in #"picometres"-=10^-12*m#. Do these data support what we have argued? Why or why not?

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