Exploring Atomic Radius Trends in the Periodic Table

The video tutorial explains the concept of atomic orbitals, highlighting that electrons travel in orbitals rather than fixed orbits. It describes the diverse shapes of atomic orbitals and introduces a simplified model to explore changes in atomic radius. The tutorial examines trends in atomic radius both down a group and across a period in the periodic table, emphasizing the role of electron shells, effective nuclear charge, and electron shielding in these changes.

What do atomic orbitals represent?

• Fixed paths of electrons

• Probability distributions of electron locations

• Exact locations of electrons

• Nuclear boundaries

What does the atomic radius measure?

• The size of the nucleus

• The number of electron shells

• The distance from the nucleus to the outermost electron

• The distance between two nuclei

What happens to the atomic radius as you move down a group in the periodic table?

• It increases

• It remains the same

• It fluctuates

• It decreases

Which element in Group 1 has the smallest atomic radius?

• Potassium

• Sodium

• Lithium

• Hydrogen

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-1

Why does the atomic radius increase as you move down a group?

• Due to the addition of more protons

• Due to the addition of more electron shells

• Due to the decrease in nuclear charge

• Due to electron shielding

What happens to the atomic radius as you move across a period from left to right?

• It increases

• It remains the same

• It fluctuates

• It decreases

What is the main reason for the decrease in atomic radius across a period?

• Decrease in electron shielding

• Increase in electron shells

• Increase in effective nuclear charge

• Decrease in nuclear charge

How many electron shells does a neutral lithium atom have?

• Three

• Four

• One

• Two

What is electron shielding?

• The repulsion between inner and outer shell electrons

• The attraction between protons and electrons

• The addition of electron shells

• The increase in nuclear charge

Why does beryllium have a smaller atomic radius than lithium?

• Because it has fewer electron shells

• Because it has more electron shells

• Because it has more electron shielding

• Because it has a higher effective nuclear charge

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-1