Explain why silicon's atom is larger than argon's atom?

Answer 1

Silicon is larger than Argon for several reasons:

If the electron configuration is examined, it becomes clear.

Si has the configuration [Ne]3s23p2 while Argon's is [Ne] 3s23p6

As you can see, both elements have valence electrons in the same energy level, the p orbital, but Argot has more protons in its nucleus, so therefore, it's pull of the electrons to it's core is higher than that of Silicon. So, Argon is SMALLER than Silicon.

Hope this helped.

Answer 2

Silicon's atom is larger than argon's because silicon has more electron shells than argon, leading to a larger atomic radius. Silicon has 3 electron shells while argon has only 2, causing silicon to have a larger size. Additionally, silicon has more electrons and protons compared to argon, contributing to its larger atomic size.