Final answer:
The atomic radius decreases from left to right across a period due to increasing nuclear attraction and increases from top to bottom down a group as the number of energy levels increases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that accurately describes a periodic trend of atomic radius is that the atomic radius tends to decrease from left to right across a period. As the atomic number (Z) increases within a period, more protons are added to the nucleus while electrons are added to the same principal energy level. This results in a greater nuclear attraction, pulling the electrons closer to the nucleus and thus decreasing the atomic radius. Conversely, down a group, the atomic radius tends to increase as the principal energy level of valence electrons increases, causing the electron cloud to expand and the atom's size to increase.