How does the size of the anion compare to the size of the atom?

Answer 1

The size of a positive ion is smaller than the size of its neutral atom. This is because a positive ion has lost one or more electrons. Because there are less electrons than protons, the protons have a stronger pull on the electrons. Consequently, the protons pull the electrons in and the ionic radius decreases.

In the case of the Lithium ion, it has lost one electron, so it is smaller than its neutral atom.

Answer 2

the lium ion has lost an electron, losng this electron from the outermost orbital totally depopulates this orbital, if the orbital has no electrons in it, it doesnt play a part at all in the determination of the size of the atom/ion

the lithium atom is 2s1 1s2

the lithium ion is 2s1

Answer 3

An ion is an atom with a positive or negative charge. An atom is neutral. Therefore, the atom has the same number of protons as electrons. The ion, not being neutral, has an unequal number of electrons to protons.

Answer 4

A normal atom means that the amount of electrons that they have equals the amount of protons that they have thus the amount of electrons equals their atomic number in the Periodic Table.

An ion means that an atom has less or more electrons then they should have. If it has more electrons then it should then it is an anion. If it has less electrons then it should then it is a cation. Since cations have more + charged protons than more - charged electrons then cations are more + charged. Since anions have more - charged electrons than more + charged protons then anions are more - charged. Anions have a more - charge while cations have a more + charge. In a normal atom the amount of - charged electrons equals the amount of + charged protons so this means that the charges are balanced and this makes all normal atoms to have a neutral charge.

All elements in the periodic table want to become like one of the noble gases in order to become more stable.

Now lithium, with an atomic number 3, is much closer to becoming like Helium then it is to becoming like Neon. In order for lithium to become like helium it has to give up that 1 electron.

A normal lithium atom has 3 protons and 3 electrons. The charge of a lithium atom is neutral. So normal lithium has no charge. But normal lithium is dangerous because it is highly reactive. The reason why it's highly reactive is because it desperately wants to loose it's 1 electron. This is the same reason why pure hydrogen is more explosive and why sodium reacts to water.

Beryllium is less reactive than lithium because lithium is much closer to being like helium than beryllium. Beryllium needs to loose 2 electrons where lithium only needs to loose 1 electron.

A lithium ion, which is a cation, has lost its 1 electron and is now more stable but it's also more + charged.

Lithium is normally weak at holding its 1 electron so almost anything can make lithium to loose that electron. A lithium ion may be more safer because it's not as reactive but it has a +1 charge and could also electromagnetically bind to free electrons or other anions or bind a covalent bond normally to 1 element, that is in the right side of the periodic table, to form a molecule.

Answer 5

The size of anion is bigger than that of atom. This is due to more electrons in outermost shell resulting in expansion of electron cloud around the nucleus.