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Ch.7 - Periodic Properties of the Elements
All textbooksBrown 14th EditionCh.7 - Periodic Properties of the ElementsProblem 19
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Chapter 7, Problem 19

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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Key Concepts

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

Bonding Atomic Radius

The bonding atomic radius is defined as half the distance between the nuclei of two bonded atoms. It reflects the size of an atom when it is involved in a chemical bond, influenced by the electron cloud's distribution and the attractive forces between the nucleus and the bonding electrons.
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Experimental Determination

Certain atomic properties, such as bonding atomic radius, cannot be calculated directly and must be determined through experimental methods. This often involves measuring the distances between atoms in a molecule using techniques like X-ray crystallography or spectroscopy, which provide insights into atomic arrangements.
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Effective Nuclear Charge

Effective nuclear charge (Z_eff) is the net positive charge experienced by an electron in a multi-electron atom. It accounts for the shielding effect of inner electrons, influencing atomic size and ionization energy, but it is not directly measured to determine bonding atomic radius, which relies on interatomic distances.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Detailed calculations show that the value of Zeff for the outermost electrons in Si and Cl atoms is 4.29+ and 6.12+, respectively. (a) What value do you estimate for Zeff experienced by the outermost electron in both Si and Cl by assuming core electrons contribute 1.00 and valence electrons contribute 0.00 to the screening constant?

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Textbook Question
Which will experience the greater effect nuclear charge, the electrons in the n = 2 shell in F or the n = 2 shell in B? Which will be closer to the nucleus?
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Textbook Question
Arrange the following atoms in order of increasing effective nuclear charge experienced by the electrons in the n = 2 shell: Be, Br, Na, P, Se.
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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. (a) What is the atomic radius of a tungsten atom in this environment? (This radius is called the metallic radius.)

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