Which is the smallest particle among the particles below?
a. cesium atom
b. cesium ion
c. oxygen atom
d. oxygen ion
e. not enough information
Look at the periodic table. Generally, going down the table increases the size. Going from left to right in the table decreases the size. Taking electrons away from an atom decreases the size and added electrons increases the size. That should give you a very good idea of the smallest.
(c) What happens to the bias as the sample size n increases?
To determine which is the smallest particle among the options provided, we need to compare the sizes of atoms and ions.
Atoms are the smallest units of an element that still retain its chemical properties. They consist of a nucleus (containing protons and neutrons) surrounded by electrons.
Ions, on the other hand, are charged particles formed when atoms gain or lose electrons. When an atom loses one or more electrons, it becomes a positive ion (cation), and when an atom gains one or more electrons, it becomes a negative ion (anion).
Now, comparing the options:
a. Cesium atom: This refers to a neutral cesium atom, which means it has the same number of protons and electrons. Since we don't have information about specific isotopes, we can assume it's the most common isotope, Cs-133.
b. Cesium ion: Cesium can form a positive ion by losing one electron. The resulting cesium ion (Cs+) has the same number of protons as the neutral atom but one fewer electron.
c. Oxygen atom: Similar to the cesium atom, this refers to a neutral oxygen atom with an assumed most common isotope, O-16.
d. Oxygen ion: Oxygen can form a negative ion by gaining two electrons. The resulting oxygen ion (O2-) has the same number of protons as the neutral atom but two additional electrons.
Comparing the sizes:
In general, when an atom loses or gains electrons to form an ion, the size of the resulting ion differs from that of the atom. When an atom loses electrons to become a positive ion, it generally becomes smaller since there are fewer electrons to balance the positive charge of the nucleus. Conversely, when an atom gains electrons to become a negative ion, it generally becomes larger due to increased electron-electron repulsion.
Based on this information, we can conclude that the smallest particle among the options is:
b. Cesium ion (Cs+)
Since cesium loses an electron to form a positive ion, it becomes smaller than the neutral cesium atom. None of the other options provide an ion formation, so they would have the same size as the neutral versions.
Hence, the correct answer is b. cesium ion.