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Why is there a difference in size of the sodium atom and the sodium ion?

April 26, 2017Atom Chemistry difference Ion Mathematics size sodium

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Why is there a difference in size of the sodium atom and the sodium ion?

1 Answer

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10 Posted

The sodium ion has a +1 charge. This means that there are more protons than electrons. Protons are centralized in the nucleus while electrons are located in the cloud surrounding the nucleus. When there is a greater charge in the nucleus, the electrons are pulled closer causing the ionic radius to shrink. Therefore, the ion is smaller.