Of the 3 elements fluorine, nitrogen, and carbon, what is the atomic number of the one that has the largest atomic radius?
To identify the element with the largest atomic radius among fluorine (F), nitrogen (N), and carbon (C), we need to consider their respective atomic numbers. The atomic number represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
The atomic number for each element is as follows:
- Fluorine (F): 9
- Nitrogen (N): 7
- Carbon (C): 6
The atomic radius generally decreases from left to right across a period in the periodic table as the number of protons increases. Therefore, the element with the greatest atomic radius would be the one with the lowest atomic number.
Since carbon (C) has the lowest atomic number among the three elements, it has the largest atomic radius.
To determine the atomic number of the element with the largest atomic radius among fluorine, nitrogen, and carbon, we need to understand the periodic trend of atomic radius.
Atomic radius generally decreases across a period from left to right in the periodic table due to the increase in the number of protons and electrons in the nucleus, resulting in a stronger attractive force. On the other hand, atomic radius generally increases down a group in the periodic table since there are more electron shells or energy levels.
Fluorine (F) has an atomic number of 9, nitrogen (N) has an atomic number of 7, and carbon (C) has an atomic number of 6.
Comparing the atomic numbers, we find that fluorine has the largest atomic number among the three elements. Therefore, the element with the largest atomic radius is fluorine (F).