rank the fallowing elements by increasing atomic radius: carbon, aluminum, oxygen, potassium.
please help!
increasing atomic radius: oxygen<carbon<aluminum<potasium
To rank the elements by increasing atomic radius, we need to consider the trends in the periodic table. Atomic radius generally increases as you move down a group (vertical) and decreases as you move across a period (horizontal) from left to right.
Let's analyze the given elements:
1. Carbon (C): Carbon is in the second period (row) of the periodic table. As you move across the period from left to right, atomic radius generally decreases. Thus, carbon will have a smaller atomic radius than the other elements listed.
2. Aluminum (Al): Aluminum is in the third period. Again, moving across the period from left to right, atomic radius generally decreases. So, aluminum will have a smaller atomic radius than potassium.
3. Oxygen (O): Oxygen is in the second period. Similar to carbon, moving across the period from left to right, the atomic radius decreases, so oxygen will have a smaller atomic radius than potassium.
4. Potassium (K): Potassium is in the fourth period. As you move down a group, atomic radius generally increases. Thus, potassium will have the largest atomic radius among the listed elements.
Therefore, the elements ranked in increasing atomic radius are as follows:
Carbon < Aluminum < Oxygen < Potassium