Questions: Arrange these elements according to atomic radius. Largest radius Smallest radius Answer Bank Rb K Na Li Cs

Solution Steps

The atomic radius of an element is the distance from the nucleus to the outermost electron shell. In the periodic table, atomic radius generally increases as you move down a group because additional electron shells are added, which increases the size of the electron cloud. Conversely, atomic radius decreases as you move from left to right across a period due to the increasing positive charge of the nucleus, which pulls the electron cloud closer.

The elements given are alkali metals: Li (Lithium), Na (Sodium), K (Potassium), Rb (Rubidium), and Cs (Cesium). These elements are all in Group 1 of the periodic table. As we move down this group, the atomic radius increases.

Based on the trend that atomic radius increases down a group, we can arrange the elements from largest to smallest atomic radius as follows:

1. Cs (Cesium)
2. Rb (Rubidium)
3. K (Potassium)
4. Na (Sodium)
5. Li (Lithium)

Final Answer