What is atomic radius?
Quick Answer
Atomic radius is a way of describing the size of an atom, usually based on the distance from its nucleus to its outer electron region. It generally increases down a group and decreases across a period.
The Full Story
Because electrons do not have sharp edges, atomic size is measured in several practical ways, such as covalent radius or metallic radius. As you move down the periodic table, atoms get larger because they have more electron shells. As you move left to right across a period, atoms usually get smaller because the nucleus pulls electrons in more strongly. These trends help explain reactivity, bond length, and many physical properties.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"Why atoms change size as you move across the table"
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