All Questions
4
questions
3
votes
3
answers
7k
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Which atom is the smallest atom?
Is hydrogen or helium the smallest atom? My teacher said that the smallest atom is the helium atom, but I think that the smallest atom is the hydrogen atom. It has a single electron and a single ...
user100905
1
vote
0
answers
295
views
Why doesn't core charge increase down a group? [closed]
Atomic radius increases down a group because the electrons feel a lesser attraction to the positive nucleus (due to shielding from inner shells). Why then, doesn't core charge decrease seeing as core ...
- 151
1
vote
1
answer
383
views
Why does ionization increase from Li to Be? [duplicate]
If ionization energy decreases from $\ce{N}$ to $\ce{O}$ due to the pairing of electrons (causing electric repulsion and greater potential energy) in the $\mathrm{2p}$ orbital in the $\ce{O}$ atom, ...
- 1,529
37
votes
3
answers
47k
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Why do atoms generally become smaller as one moves left to right across a period?
It seems to me that the addition of electrons and protons as you move across a period would cause an atom to become larger. However, I'm told it gets smaller. Why is this?
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