Question

What trend in atomic radius do you see as you move across a period on the periodic table, according to Coulomb's law?

A) Atomic radius generally increases
B) Atomic radius generally decreases
C) Atomic radius remains constant
D) Atomic radius fluctuates randomly

Answer 1

The atomic radius generally decreases as you move across a period on the periodic table, according to Coulomb's law.

Step-by-step explanation:

The trend in atomic radius as you move across a period on the periodic table, according to Coulomb's law, is that the atomic radius generally decreases. This is because as you move across a period, the number of protons in the nucleus increases, resulting in a stronger positive charge. This increased positive charge attracts the valence electrons more strongly, pulling them closer to the nucleus and decreasing the atomic radius.