ATOMIC RADIUS

The atomic radius is a term used to describe the size of the atom, but there is no standard definition for this value. Atomic radius may refer to the ionic radius, covalent radius, metallic radius, or van der Waals radius. In all cases, the size of the atom is dependent on how far out the electrons extend. The atomic radius for an element tends to increase as one goes down anelement group. The electrons become more tightly packed as you move across the periodic table, so while there are more electrons for elements of increasing atomic number, the atomic radius actually may decrease.

The atomic radius of a chemical element is a measure of the size of its atoms, usually the mean or typical distance from the nucleus to the boundary of the surrounding cloud of electrons. Since the boundary is not a well-defined physical entity, there are various non-equivalent definitions of atomic radius. Depending on the definition, the term may apply only to isolated atoms, or also to atoms in condensed matter, covalently bound in molecules, or in ionized and excited states; and its value may be obtained through experimental measurements, or computed from theoretical models. Under some definitions, the value of the radius may depend on the atom's state and context.[1] The concept is difficult to define because the electrons do not have definite orbits, or sharply defined ranges. Rather, their positions must be described as probability distributions that taper off gradually as one moves away from the nucleus, without a sharp cutoff. Moreover, in condensed matter and molecules, the electron clouds of the atoms usually overlap to some extent, and some of the electrons may roam over a large region encompassing two or more atoms. Despite these conceptual difficulties, under most definitions the radii of isolated neutral atoms range between 30 and 300 pm (trillionths of ameter), or between 0.3 and 3 angstroms. Therefore, the radius of an atom is more than 10,000 times the radius of its nucleus (110 fm),[2]and less than 1/1000 of the wavelength of visible light (400700 nm). For many purposes, atoms can be modeled as spheres. This is only a crude approximation, but it can provide quantitative explanations and predictions for many phenomena, such as the density of liquids and solids, the diffusion of fluids through molecular sieves, the arrangement of atoms and ions in crystals, and the size and shape of molecules.[citation needed]

Atomic radii vary in a predictable and explicable manner across theperiodic table. For instance, the radii generally decrease along each period (row) of the table, from the alkali metals to the noble gases; and increase down each group (column). The radius increases sharply between the noble gas at the end of each period and the alkali metal at the beginning of the next period. These trends of the atomic radii (and of various other chemical and physical properties of the elements) can be explained by the electron shell theory of the atom; they provided important evidence for the development and confirmation of quantum theory.

Bibliography:
Helmenstine, A. M., & Ph.D.. (n.d.). Atomic Radius Definition - Chemistry Glossary Definition of Atomic Radius.About.com Chemistry - Chemistry Projects, Homework Help, Periodic Table. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryglossary/a/atomicradiusdef.h tm Atomic radius. (n.d.). Princeton University - Home. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Atomic_rad ius.html Atomic & Ionic Radius on www.gobookee.org - free eBook download. (n.d.). Free books and manuals - GoBookee.org. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from http://www.gobookee.org/get_book.php?u=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5tb29yZXNja G9vbHMuY29tL2Ntcy9saWIvT0swMTAwMDM2Ny9DZW50cmljaXR5L0Rv bWFpbi8xOTUzL0F0b21pYyUyMGFuZCUyMElvbmljJTIwUmFkaXVzLnBkZ gpBdG9taWMgJmFtcDsgSW9uaWMgUmFkaXVz Theoretical Calculation of Absolute Radii of Atoms and Ions on www.mdpi.org/ijms- International Journal of Molecular Sciences. (Dulal C, 2002). Retrieved October 16, 2013, from www.mdpi.org/ijms/