Why is the size of a sodium ion Na less than that of a sodium atom Na?

Answer 1

When an atom becomes an ion it will either gain electrons and become negative or lose electrons to become positive, sodium reacts by losing electrons there fore when an ion its formula will be Na+ because sodium has lost an electron the nucleus holds more charge drawing the electrons closer in. also because the sodium has lost its valance electron there are less shells with electrons in them giving it a smaller atomic radius.

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Answer 2

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.

Answer 3

Sodium is actually bigger that Chlorine.

Why?

Sodium and Chlorine have the same number of electron energy levels, but since Sodium has fewer protons the pull on its electron energy levels is weaker and that allows Sodium's energy levels to expand more than Chlorine's.

Answer 4

A sodium ion is a sodium atom that has lost one electron to form an octet of electrons. When the sodium atom loses the electron, which is the only electron in the 3s orbital, the atom no longer needs the orbital and the atom shrinks in diameter.

Answer 5

A chloride ion has 3 full outer energy shells, whereas a sodium ion only has 2 full outer electron shells.

Since it has a whole extra shell, the chloride ion becomes larger than the sodium one.

Answer 6

The third and outermost electron shell of a sodium atom contains only one electron, which is lost when a sodium ion is formed. The sodium ion therefore has a diameter comparable to the smaller diameter of atoms with only two electron shells.

Answer 7

A sodium atom has a single electron in its outer shell that is very active, seeking to combine with an electronegative element such as chlorine, which lacks an electron to complete its outer shell.

A sodium ion is a unit that has given its extra electron up to another element, the two thus forming a compound having properties widely different from the component elements.

Answer 8

When a sodium atom loses an electron to become a sodium ion, it becomes positively charged (Na+). This loss of an electron causes the outer electron shell to contract, making the ion smaller than the atom.

Answer 9

sodium atom loses electrons to form sodium cation and hence has smaller size