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Ch.7 - Periodic Properties of the Elements
Chapter 7, Problem 21a

Tungsten has the highest melting point of any metal in the periodic table: 3422 °C. The distance between W atoms in tungsten metal is 274 pm. (a) What is the atomic radius of a tungsten atom in this environment? (This radius is called the metallic radius.)

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Metallic Radius

The metallic radius is defined as half the distance between the nuclei of two adjacent atoms in a metallic lattice. It reflects the size of an atom in a metallic bond and is influenced by the arrangement of atoms and the type of metallic bonding present. In tungsten, the metallic radius can be estimated from the given interatomic distance.
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Interatomic Distance

Interatomic distance refers to the distance between the centers of two adjacent atoms in a solid. This measurement is crucial for determining atomic and metallic radii, as it provides insight into how closely atoms are packed in a material. In the case of tungsten, the interatomic distance is given as 274 pm, which is essential for calculating the metallic radius.
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Periodic Trends

Periodic trends are patterns observed in the properties of elements across the periodic table, including atomic size, ionization energy, and electronegativity. Understanding these trends helps predict how elements behave in different environments. For tungsten, being a transition metal, its properties, including metallic radius, can be compared to those of other metals to understand its unique characteristics.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Which quantity must be determined experimentally in order to determine the bonding atomic radius of an atom? (a) The distance from the nucleus where the probability of finding an electron goes to zero. (b) The distance between the nuclei of two atoms that are bonded together. (c) The effective nuclear charge of an atom.
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Textbook Question

With the exception of helium, the noble gases condense to form solids when they are cooled sufficiently. At temperatures below 83 K, argon forms a close-packed solid whose structure is shown below. (b) Is this value larger or smaller than the bonding atomic radius estimated for argon in Figure 7.7?

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Textbook Question

With the exception of helium, the noble gases condense to form solids when they are cooled sufficiently. At temperatures below 83 K, argon forms a close-packed solid whose structure is shown below. (c) Based on this comparison would you say that the atoms are held together by chemical bonds in solid argon?

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Textbook Question

Tungsten has the highest melting point of any metal in the periodic table: 3422 °C. The distance between W atoms in tungsten metal is 274 pm. (b) If you put tungsten metal under high pressure, predict what would happen to the distance between W atoms.

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Textbook Question

Which of the following statements about the bonding atomic radii in Figure 7.7 is incorrect? (i) For a given period, the radii of the representative elements generally decrease from left to right across a period. (ii) The radii of the representative elements for the n = 3 period are all larger than those of the corresponding elements in the n = 2 period. (iii) For most of the representative elements, the change in radius from the n = 2 to the n = 3 period is greater than the change in radius from n = 3 to n = 4. (iv) The radii of the transition elements generally increase moving from left to right within a period. (v) The large radii of the Group 1 elements are due to their relatively small effective nuclear charges.

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Textbook Question

Estimate the As¬I bond length from the data in Figure 7.7 and compare your value to the experimental As ¬I bond length in arsenic triiodide, AsI3, 2.55 Å.

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