Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Ionic Radius
Ionic radius refers to the size of an ion in a crystal lattice. Cations, which are positively charged ions, are generally smaller than their neutral atoms due to the loss of electrons, leading to increased effective nuclear charge on the remaining electrons. Conversely, anions, which are negatively charged ions, are larger than their neutral atoms because the addition of electrons increases electron-electron repulsion, causing the electron cloud to expand.
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Charge and Size Relationship
The charge of an ion significantly affects its size. When an atom loses electrons to form a cation, it becomes smaller due to the reduced electron-electron repulsion and increased attraction between the nucleus and the remaining electrons. In contrast, when an atom gains electrons to form an anion, it becomes larger because the added electrons increase repulsion among them, leading to a larger ionic size.
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Comparative Analysis of Ions
To determine which species is larger in a pair of ions, one must compare their ionic charges and the corresponding neutral atoms. Generally, for a given element, the neutral atom is larger than its cation, while the anion is larger than the neutral atom. Thus, when comparing pairs like Sr and Sr²⁺ or N and N³⁻, the neutral species will typically be the larger one, while the anion will be larger than the neutral atom.
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