Periodic Trends –

Atomic Radii
MR DHUE
Looking at specific properties of elements

 Scientists collect data to better know our natural world. For chemistry, scientists
can measure properties of elements to help explain bonding and chemical
reactivity.
 This expands on the existing patterns seen on the Periodic Table.
 These include Atomic radius, Ionisation Energy and Electronegativity.
 These properties are collectively known as Periodic Trends as patterns can be seen
looking at them and the Periodic Table.
 These properties are directly influenced by electron configurations.
What is Atomic Radii
 Atoms are not hard solid balls and so any measurement of an atoms size will be
attempts to measure to the outside of the fuzzy electron cloud. It is impossible to
measure an individual atom so scientists measure atomic radii by measuring the
distance between adjacent atomic nuclei and divide it by two.
 Experimentally this can be done by X-ray diffraction and Raman Spectroscopy

The covalent radius

The metallic radius
is one half the
is one half the
distance between
distance between
identical covalently
nuclei of adjacent
bonded atoms
atoms in a crystal of
the element
 What patterns can we see….
 Moving across a Period we can see the atomic radii get smaller.
 Going down a group we can see that the atomic radii is getting bigger.
 Note: We do not deal specifically with the transition metals, just the overall trend.
Explaining the trend

Need to consider two concepts:

1. Principal Quantum Number (n)

2. Effective nuclear charge (Zeff)

 These two factors can be used to explain the observed

Periodic Trend.
1) Principal Quantum Number (n)
 This is the number of shells using the Bohr model of the atom.
The first shell is n=1, the next shell is n=2
 So the quantum number tells us how many shells of electrons there
are.

• Each shell is a different distance from the nucleus.

• The further away the electron shell is the attractive
force of the positive nucleus to the electrons
decreases.
2) The effective Nuclear charge (Zeff)
 Electrons are electrostatically attracted to the nucleus by opposite
charges. For atoms with several shells the electrons in shells closer
to the nucleus (core shells) shields the nuclear charge and reduces
the electrostatic attraction between the nucleus and the outer shell
electrons.
 This decreased pull of the nucleus on the valence electrons is
called effective nuclear charge (Zeff) and can be calculated:

Zeff = Z – (# of core electrons)

 It’s the outer most electrons (valence shell) that determines the
atomic radii. These electrons are all the same distance from the
nucleus (same shell) and so all ’feel’ the same effective nuclear
charge. A larger Zeff will pull the valence shell closer to the nucleus.
 Down a group….
 n dominates:
 Moving down a group there is one more electron shell added to the
atom. The full inner shells shield the outer electrons keeping Z eff the
same for the group. As added shell is further away from the nucleus,
the atomic radii gets larger.

 Note: The effective nuclear charge remains constant despite the

increase in nuclear charge as there is an extra full inner core shell to
shield the nucleus.
Across a Period.…

 Zeff dominates:
 As we move across a period, the electrons are
added to the same outer shell. As the full
inner shells shielding the nuclear charge
remains the same, Zeff rises across the period.
This pulls the outer electron shell closer
decreasing atomic radii.
A final Thought.
Quiz time…
 Using only the Periodic Table, rank each of the following elements in order of
decreasing atomic size.
a) Ca, Mg, Sr
b) K, Ga, Ca
c) Br, Rb, Kr
d) Sr, Ca, Rb

 Rank each element in order of increasing Atomic radius

a) Se, Br, Cl
b) I, Xe, Ba
c) P, Si, N
d) C, Li, Be