Explain giving reason why although the nuclear charge in atoms increases in moving from left to right in a…
Explain giving reason why although the nuclear charge in atoms increases in moving from left to right in a period as well as in moving from top to bottom in a group in the Modern periodic table, but the size of the atoms does not vary similarly in both situations.
Solution
On moving from left to right in a period, the increase in nuclear charge tends to pull electrons closer to the nucleus and reduces the size of the atom, whereas in a group moving from top to bottom new shells are being added which increases the distance between the outermost electrons and the nucleus, hence increases the size of the atom.