answersLogoWhite

0

Cations and their parent atoms have the same number of protons in the nucleus but different numbers of electrons. As cations have less number of electrons, the effective nuclear charge increases and as such,the remaining electrons are more tightly bound by the nucleus.

Thus, cations are smaller in size compared to their parent atoms.

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

What are the properties of cations?

Cations are positively charged ions that are formed when an atom loses electrons. They are smaller than their parent atoms due to the loss of electrons, and they are attracted to the cathode in electrolysis. Cations play a crucial role in various chemical reactions and in the functioning of biological systems.


Where do cations move?

Cations are positively charged ions that are attracted to the cathode (negative electrode) during electrolysis or in an electrical field. These ions move towards the cathode where they gain electrons to become neutral atoms.


Why cationic molecular ions are greater then anionic one?

Cationic molecular ions are usually smaller than their corresponding anionic ions because they have lost an electron and thus have a higher effective nuclear charge that pulls the remaining electrons closer to the nucleus, resulting in a smaller size. Additionally, cationic ions often have a stable electron configuration (e.g., a noble gas configuration) that contributes to their smaller size.


Why are cation always smaller than the atoms from which they are formed?

Cations are positive ions formed by the loss of electrons. As cations have less number of electrons, the effective nuclear charge increases and as such,the remaining electrons are more tightly bound by the nucleus and there is a reduction in size. In most of the cases, the parent atom loses all the valence electrons in order to form a cation leading to the reduction of one shell(the valence shell).


Are cations bigger than anions in terms of size?

In general, cations are smaller than anions in terms of size.


Are cations larger or smaller than the neutral atoms they came from?

They are smaller and this is why: There are less electrons to be attracted by the same original positive charge of the nucleus. (For negative ions it's just the other way around.)


Is a ion larger or smaller than its parent atom?

A negative ion would be considered larger than its parent atom. This is because electrons have mass, which makes the ions gain mass to outgrow their parent atoms.


Which correctly describes cations and anions?

Cations are positively charged ions that are formed by losing electrons, while anions are negatively charged ions that are formed by gaining electrons. Cations tend to be metals, while anions tend to be nonmetals.


Are simple cations always larger or smaller than the neutral atoms from which they were formed?

They have very similar sizes. An ion is an atom that is missing one or more electrons. The contribution of individual electrons to the size of an atom is very slight. Metal atoms. - A


How are cations anions monoatomic ions and polyatomic ions the same and different?

Cations are positive ions (Fe2+, NH4+).Anions are negative ions (Cl-, (SO4)2-).Fe2+ is a monoatomic ion and (NH4)+ is a polyatomic Ion (contain more than one element).


Is a positive ion smaller or larger than its parent atom?

A positive ion is smaller than its parent atom because it has less electrons than its parent atom. The reduced number of electrons are then pulled more tightly to the positive nucleus because the number of protons remains the same, and these now exceed the electrons in number.


What are two types of ions?

* Anions are negatively charged ions. Anions are negatively charged because there are more electrons associated with them than there are protons in their nuclei. * Cations are positively charged ions. Cations are the opposite of anions, since cations have fewer electrons than protons. * Dianion: a dianion is a species which has two negative charges on it; for example, the aromatic dianion pentalene. * Radical ions: radical ions are ions that contain an odd number of electrons and are mostly very reactive and unstable.Source: Wikipedia