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Chapter 8: Problem 33

Define atomic radius. Does the size of an atom have a precise meaning?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The atomic radius is the distance from the nucleus of an atom to its outermost electron shell. However, an atom's size is not precise since the position of outermost electrons is probabilistic.

Step by step solution

01

Defining Atomic Radius

The atomic radius is the distance from the nucleus of an atom to its outermost electron shell when in a neutral state. The atomic radius helps to determine the size of an atom.
02

Comparing with Other Atomic Sizes

There are also other types of atomic radii like covalent radius (half of the distance between two like atoms bonded together), metallic radius (half the distance between nuclei of two adjacent atoms), and van der Waals radius (half the distance between closest approach of two non-bonded atoms of a given element). These different radii are important as they provide different information on the atom.
03

Ambiguity in Atomic Size

The size of an atom does not have a precise meaning. Atomic size generally refers to the total distance from the center of an atom's nucleus to its outermost electron shell. However, the outermost electron shell is defined probabilistically since electrons do not have fixed orbits around the nucleus due to quantum mechanical nature of atoms. Hence, the outer boundary of an atom cannot be precisely measured and so the size of an atom is somewhat indistinct.

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