Trends in Ionic Radius and Melting Point

Trends in Ionic Radius and Melting Point

Atomic Size Trend

  • As you move from left to right across the periodic table (e.g., from sodium to chlorine), the atomic size generally decreases.
  • This is due to an increasing number of protons in the nucleus, leading to a greater pull on the electrons and causing the atoms to become smaller.

Ionic Size Considerations

  • The focus shifts from the size of atoms to the size of ions.

Sodium Ion Example:

  • Sodium (Na) has an electron configuration of 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^1.