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Chapter 8: Q11CQ (page 338)

Question: The “radius of an atom” is a debatable quantity. Why?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer

Half the distance between the nuclei of identical neighboring atoms in the solid form of an element.

Step by step solution

01

Radius of the atom

The radius of an atom is about 0.1 nm (1×10-10m)

The wave function for the electrons in atoms does not have an abrupt change to zero at some specific radius and beyond Instead, the wave function.

02

Explanation.

And therefore the probability density for finding an electron at a given distance from the nucleus falls off exponentially with a tail that extends to infinite distance once the distance is large enough. It is therefore somewhat ambiguous to decide at what distance the probability of finding an electron has become small enough to regard that location as outside the radius of the atom.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Angular momenta J1and J2interact so that they obey the strict quantum mechanical rules for angular momentum addition. If J1=1and J2=32what angles between J1and J2 allowed?

Two particles in a box have a total energy 5π2ℏ2/2mL2.

(a) Which states are occupied?

(b) Make a sketch ofP5(x1,x2)versusx1for points along the linex2=x1.

(c) Make a similar sketch ofPA(x1,x2).

(d) Repeat parts (b) and (c) but for points on the linex2=L−x1

Question: As the 2p levels fill from Z = 5 to 10 the element's first ionization energies tend to increase. But as the figure below clearly indicates it is slightly easier to remove an electron from Z = 8 oxygen than from Z = 7 nitrogen. What might explain this?

Were it to follow the standard pattern, what would be the electronic configuration of element 119.

Question: Early on, the lanthanides were found to be quite uncooperative when attempts were made to chemically separate them from one another. One reason can be seen in Figure 8.16. Explain.
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