Arrange the members of each of the following pairs in order of increasing radius and explain the order:
A. Te, Te2-
B. Al, Al3-
Any time you add electrons to a shell, it makes the radius larger because the electrons repel each other. You must add two electrons to a neutral Te atom to obtain Te= and you must add three electrons to neutral Al to obtain Al3-.
so which is the correct way of increasing radius and what is a Te=
I don't know that there is "a correct way" of increasing radius. From my discussion can you not see that Te is smaller than Te= and Al is smaller than Al3+?
To arrange the members of each pair in order of increasing radius, we need to consider their atomic or ionic structures. The radius of an atom/ion is determined by the size of its electron cloud, with larger atoms/ions having more electron shells or occupying higher energy levels.
A. Te, Te2-
Te:
Tellurium (Te) is a nonmetal in Group 16 (also known as Group VIA) of the periodic table. It has 52 electrons and its ground state electron configuration is [Kr]5s24d105p4. In its neutral state, Te has 6 valence electrons.
Te2-:
The Te2- ion has a charge of -2, meaning it has gained 2 more electrons. Thus, the electron configuration becomes [Kr]5s24d105p6, which resembles a noble gas electron configuration.
Explanation:
In this pair, Te is larger than Te2-. When an atom gains extra electrons to form an anion, it increases in size because the extra electrons create more electron-electron repulsion, causing the electron cloud to expand. Therefore, Te2- has a larger radius than Te.
So, the order of increasing radius is: Te < Te2-
B. Al, Al3-
Al:
Aluminum (Al) is a metal in Group 13 (also known as Group IIIA) of the periodic table. It has 13 electrons and its ground state electron configuration is [Ne]3s23p1. In its neutral state, Al has 3 valence electrons.
Al3-:
The Al3- ion has a charge of -3, meaning it has lost 3 electrons. Thus, the electron configuration becomes [Ne]2s22p6, which is the noble gas configuration of neon.
Explanation:
In this pair, Al is smaller than Al3-. When an atom loses electrons to form a cation, it creates a positive charge and reduces the electron cloud. The loss of electrons decreases the electron-electron repulsion, making the atom smaller. Therefore, Al3- has a smaller radius than Al.
So, the order of increasing radius is: Al3- < Al