question_answer 1)

What does atomic radius or ionic radius really mean to you?

Answer:

Atomic radius means size of the atom. Its accurate measurement is not possible. Atomic radius is considered as effective size which means the distance of the closest approach of one atom to another atom in a given bonding situation. In case of non-metals, atomic radius is termed covalent radius. It is defined as one half of the distance between the nuclei of two covalently bonded atoms of the same element in the molecule. In case of metals, atomic radius is termed metallic radius or crystal radius. It is defined as one half the distance between the two adjacent atoms in the crystal lattice. Ionic radius means size of the ion. An ion can be cation or anion. Ionic radius is defined as the effective distance from the nucleus of the ion upto which it has an influence in the ionic bond. Cation is always smaller in size while anion is larger in size than their parent atoms.