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As you move across the periods from left to right on the Periodic Table, the atomic radius decreases. Why?

a.The valence electrons are located further away from the nucleus so they experience less effective nuclear charge.
b.The effective nuclear charge increases and pulls the valence electrons closer to the nucleus.
c.The valence electrons are found in higher energy levels.

2 Answers

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Final answer:

As you go down a column of the periodic table, the atomic radii increase because the valence electron shell is getting larger and there is a larger principal quantum number.

Step-by-step explanation:

As you go down a column of the periodic table, the atomic radii increase. This is because the valence electron shell is getting larger and there is a larger principal quantum number, so the valence shell lies physically farther away from the nucleus. This trend can be summarized as follows:

User Florian Courtial
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answer is C. the top LEFT side Is the smallest w/ most energy. The bottom RIGHT is the biggest in size but with lower energy levels.

User Chillie
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