Chemistry: The Central Science (13th Edition)

Published by Prentice Hall
ISBN 10: 0321910419
ISBN 13: 978-0-32191-041-7

Chapter 7 - Periodic Properties of the Elements - Exercises - Page 292: 7.25c

Answer

The size of the atoms from largest to smaller is N, O, F.

Work Step by Step

The size of an atom depends on the atomic radius of that atom. In the periodic table, there are two trends in bonding atomic radii: 1) From left to right across a period, the bonding atomic radii of the atoms tend to become smaller and smaller (due to the increasing effective nuclear charge). 2) From top to bottom across a group, the bonding atomic radii of the atoms tend to increase (due to the expansion of the principal quantum number n, giving the electrons more chance to be further from the nucleus) F, O, N are all in the same period. In a period, the bonding atomic radii tend to become smaller from left to right. From left to right, the elements appear in the following order: N, O, F. That means the bonding atomic radii from largest to smallest, and also the size of the atoms from largest to smallest is: N, O, F.
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