Which of the following orders of ionic radii is correctly represented?
- H- > H > H+
- Na+ > F- > O2-
- F- > O2- > Na+
- Al3+ > Mg2+ > N3-
Answer
(1) H- > H > H+
Solution
For the same element, radius decreases as electrons are removed: anion > neutral atom > cation.
⇒ H- > H > H+ (correct).
For isoelectronic ions ( N3-, O2-, F-, Na+, Mg2+, Al3+, 10 electrons each), radius decreases as nuclear charge increases:
N3- > O2- > F- > Na+ > Mg2+ > Al3+
∴ options (2), (3) and (4) are wrong.
Answer: (1)