Final answer:
Carbon has a larger atomic radius than nitrogen because nitrogen has more protons, which results in stronger nucleus-electron attraction and a smaller atomic radius. Option 2 is the answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Atoms of carbon (element 6) have a larger atomic radius than atoms of nitrogen (element 7) because nitrogen has more protons.
The atomic radius generally decreases across a period from left to right on the periodic table. This is due to an increase in the number of protons in the nucleus as you move from carbon to nitrogen, which leads to a stronger attraction between the nucleus and the electron cloud, pulling the electrons closer to the nucleus and resulting in a smaller atomic radius for nitrogen compared to carbon.