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Some ions don't change the size of the atom (of course, size is very ambiguous for something as small and tenuous as an atom). The prevailing planetary models of atoms determine the theoretical size of an atom based on which subshell is gaining or losing electrons. For example, if an atom gains an electron that starts filling the next available shell, it would get larger in size. Conversely, if an atom loses the last electron in a shell it would get smaller. In theoretical physics, there are too many other variables that determine an atom's "size" to make this a practicable question (is gaining an electron an endothermic or exothermic reaction? Would losing an electron in some specific circumstance give the remaining atom enough energy to bump the next available electron into the vacated shell, resulting in zero net size change?).
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoNo an Ion is an electron which has a Atomic Mass weight of Zero, where as an atom is has a mass weight
Answer 2
An ion is an atom that has gained or lost one or more electrons and thus it may be either negatively or positively charged. So when you say 'bigger than', do you mean by size or by weight? An ion is likely to be heavier than an atom when it is a negative ion (because it's got an extra electron or two) or lighter when it's a positive ion (because it's lost an electron or two). But electrons are pretty light.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoAn ion is made up of at least one atom, which carries a charge that is not neutral. An electron OS one of the basic charged units, and is much, much smaller than an atom.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoAn electron is a part of an atom.
Chris Grant
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Why does a chloride ion have a larger radius than a chlorine atom?
chlorine ion has one more electron than the chlorine atom, thus the pull of the electrons to the protons in the nucleus is less because of the extra electron allowing the electron cloud to relax a tiny bit
Why is a bromide ion larger than a bromine atom?
Bromide ions are larger than bromine atoms because the ion has one more electron than the neutral atom. The extra electron is less tightly bound than the other electrons because it experiences a smaller effective nuclear charge. Other anions are also larger than their corresponding atoms for the same reason; cations, on the other hand, are smaller than their corresponding atoms because they have fewer electrons.
What has a larger radius a bromine atom or a bromine ion?
That depends: is it a positive ion (Br+) or a negative ion (Br-)? An ion with a charge of +1 has one less electron than the element would have normally. An ion with a charge of -1 has one more electron than normal. It seems kind of strange that -1 means one more, and +1 means one less, but that's because an electron has a charge of -1, so if there is one less electron than is needed to keep the atomic charge balanced, the charge will be positive by 1. Cations (pronounced cat-ions, not cashons), ions with a positive charge and therefore fewer electrons than the neutral atom, have a smaller atomic radius than the neutral atom. Anions, ions with a negative charge and therefore more electrons than usual, have a larger atomic radius than the neutral atom. So a bromine cation would have a smaller radius, and a bromine anion would have a larger atomic radius. NOTE: when referring to a neutral atom, the atom is of THE SAME ELEMENT as the ion. Otherwise, the comparison is not necessarily true.
Why is the size of a sodium ion Na less than that of a sodium atom Na?
Consider the electron configuration for sodium: [Na] 1s2 , 2p2 2p6 3s1 and sodium ion [Na]+, has no electrons in the 3rd shell as the 3s orbital is empty due to the loss of the electron. Therefore, due to the missing orbital, the size of the ion is much smaller than the neutral atom. This is also true with all cations. Anions on the other hand become larger as they become electronegative, due to electron shielding.
10 What occurs in an atom to produce an ion?
To produce a negative ion (anion): an electron is gained. To produce a positive ion (cation): an electron is loss.
Why size of hydrogen ion is greater than its atom?
It is NOT greater. It is smaller. This is because the Hydrogen ion has lost its electron from the atom and is thus smaller. The hydrogen ion is a proton.
Why are sodium ions smaller than sodium atoms?
its smaller because the ion in negative and the atom is positive so the ion has lost 1 more electron
When iodine becomes an ion is the ion larger or smaller?
Iodine gains one electron to form iodide ion. The size of iodide ion is larger than the size of iodine atom.
Why is nitrogen ion larger than fluoride ion?
The nitride ion has a larger negative charge than the fluoride ion and a smaller positive charge in its nucleus, which means a greater repulsion within the electron shells and a lesser attraction to the nucleus.
Is Li plus smaller than Li?
An Na atom is larger as it has one more shell carrying an extra electron that it has not donated yet . In the case of Na (ion) it has lost or donated an electron which means it no longer has the shell that carried the last electron.
When Mg forms an ion will the ion be smaller or longer than the atom?
The ion has a smaller diameter.
Why are the ionic radii of metallic elements smaller than the atomic radii of the same elements?
The ionic radii of metallic elements is smaller than its atomic radii, because the ion has less electrons. This gives it a smaller electron cloud and makes the atom smaller.
Why does a chloride ion have a larger radius than a chlorine atom?
chlorine ion has one more electron than the chlorine atom, thus the pull of the electrons to the protons in the nucleus is less because of the extra electron allowing the electron cloud to relax a tiny bit
Is barium larger than aluminum yes or no?
a general answer is that if it is a cation the ion is smaller than the atom due to loosing one or more electrons which would decrease the size of the radius anions are larger because they are gaining more electrons and electron electron repulsion is greater which spreads the anion apart
Is the size of a positive ion generally bigger or smaller than the size of the neutral form which it forms?
We are working on this in Physical Science class. A negative ion is larger then its parent atom. A positive ion is smaller then its parent atom. =]
An electron is much larger than an atom?
an electron is much much smaller than an atom. An electron is a portion of the nucleus in an atom.
Is an electron bigger or smaller than a neutron?
Smaller than a neutron
