Atoms sizes

Flere b corresponds to the repulsive part of the potential, which is equivalent to the excluded volume due to the finite atomic size, and a/v corresponds to the attractive part of the potential. The van der Waals equation... 

Hamers R J and Kohler U K 1989 Determination of the local electronic structure of atomic-sized defects on Si(OOI) by tunnelling spectroscopy J. Vac. Sc/. Technol. A 7 2854... 

Ionisation energy decreases down a group of elements as the atomic size increases. The elements in consequence become more metallic down the group. 

The oxidation state +4 involves both the s and p electrons. The oxidation state +2, involving only the p electrons, becomes increasingly important with increasing atomic size, and the two... 

The oxidation state -1-4 is predominantly covalent and the stability of compounds with this oxidation state generally decreases with increasing atomic size (Figure 8.1). It is the most stable oxidation state for silicon, germanium and tin, but for lead the oxidation state +4 is found to be less stable than oxidation state +2 and hence lead(IV) compounds have oxidising properties (for example, see p. 194). 

A representation of atomic structure. The various spheres are not drawn to scale. The lump of iron on the left would contain almost a million million million million (10 ) atoms, one of which is represented by the sphere in the top center of the page. In turn, each atom is composed of a number of electrons, protons, and neutrons. For example, an atom of the element iron contains 26 electrons, 26 protons, and 30 neutrons. The physical size of the atom is determined mainly by the number of electrons, but almost all of its mass is determined by the number of protons and neutrons in its dense core or nucleus (lower part of figure). The electrons are spread out around the nucleus, and their number determines atomic size but the protons and neutrons compose a very dense, small core, and their number determines atomic mass. 

Before we examine the polymerization process itself, it is essential to understand the behavior of the emulsifier molecules. This class of substances is characterized by molecules which possess a polar or ionic group or head and a hydrocarbon chain or tail. The latter is often in the 10-20 carbon atom size range. Dodecyl sulfate ions, from sodium dodecyl sulfate, are typical ionic emulsifiers. These molecules have the following properties which are pertinent to the present discussion ... 

Water impurities include dissolved and suspended soHds. Calcium bicarbonate is a soluble salt. A solution of calcium bicarbonate is clear, because the calcium and bicarbonate are present as atomic-size ions that are not large enough to reflect light. Suspended soflds are substances that are not completely soluble in water and are present as particles. These particles usually impart a visible turbidity to the water. 

Trace elements added to copper exert a significant influence on electrical conductivity. Effects on conductivity vary because of inherent differences ia effective atomic size and valency. The decrease ia conductivity produced by those elements appearing commonly ia copper, at a fixed atomic concentration, rank as follows Zn (least detrimental), Ag, Mg, Al, Ni, Si, Sn, P, Fe (most). Table 12 summarizes these effects. In the absence of chemical or physical interactions, the increase in electrical resistivity is linear with amounts of each element, and the effect of multiatom additions is additive. 

Diffusion in the bulk crystals may sometimes be short circuited by diffusion down grain boundaries or dislocation cores. The boundary acts as a planar channel, about two atoms wide, with a local diffusion rate which can be as much as 10 times greater than in the bulk (Figs. 18.8 and 10.4). The dislocation core, too, can act as a high conductivity wire of cross-section about (2b), where b is the atom size (Fig. 18.9). Of course, their contribution to the total diffusive flux depends also on how many grain boundaries or dislocations there are when grains are small or dislocations numerous, their contribution becomes important. 

The mles can readily be extended to isoelectronic anions and carbaboranes (BH=B =C) and also to metalloboranes (p. 174), metallocarbaboranes (p. 194) and even to metal clusters themselves, though they become less reliable the further one moves away from boron in atomic size, ionization energy, electronegativity, etc. 

The structural chemistry of the Group 14 elements affords abundant illustrations of the trends to be expected from increasing atomic size, increasing electropositivity and increasing tendency to form compounds, and these will become clear during the more detailed treatment of the chemistry in the succeeding sections. The often complicated stereochemistry of compounds (which arises from the presence of a nonbonding electron-pair on the metal) is... 

Click Coached Problems for a self-study module on atomic size. 

Calculate the ratio of the number of electrons in a neutral xenon atom to the number in a neutral neon atom. Compare this number to the ratio of the atomic volumes of these two elements. On the basis of these two ratios, discuss the effects of electron-electron repulsions and electron-nuclear attractions on atomic size. 

There are three spectral regions or ranges of light frequencies that are particularly useful to chemists in learning atomic sizes. We shall discuss each briefly. 

The size assigned to an atom or ion requires a decision about where an atom stops. From quantum mechanics we learn that an atom has no sharp boundaries or surfaces. Nevertheless, chemists find it convenient to assign sizes to atoms according to the observed distances between atoms. Thus, atomic size is defined operationally—it is determined by measuring the distance between atoms. 

On the basis of the trend in atomic size, what trend is expected in the ionization energy E of the halogen atoms Compare your prediction with the actual trend in Eu given in Table 19-1. 

There are similar, but smaller, trends in the properties of elements in a column (a family) of the periodic table. Though the elements in a family display similar chemistry, there are important and interesting differences as well. Many of these differences are explainable in terms of atomic size. 

II. TRENDS IN INTERATOMIC DISTANCES NEAREST NEIGHBOR DISTANCE (Angstroms) ALKALINE EARTH ATOMIC SIZE... 

We see that, no matter what type of bonding situation is considered, there is a trend in size moving downward in the periodic table. The alkaline earth atoms become larger in the sequence Be < Mg < Ca < Sr < Ba. These atomic sizes provide a basis for explaining trends in many properties of the alkaline earth elements and their compounds. 

---