Question
3. Select Ionic Radius as the property and select an element in group 13. Go down group 13 and describe the general trend in ionic radius.
Answer
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Sali
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Answer
The general trend in ionic radius in group 13 is that it increases as we move down the group.
Explanation
## Step1This problem is related to the trends in the Periodic Table of the Elements, specifically the ionic radii of elements in Group 13. Ionic radius refers to the size of an ion. In the context of an element's ion in a crystal lattice, the ionic radius is slightly different from the covalent radius, which refers to the size of the orbit of an atom's outermost electrons.## Step2As we descend a group in the Periodic Table, we are adding extra layers of electrons. These additional layers increase the size of the ions. Therefore, the general trend is that the ionic radius increases moving down a group on the periodic table.## Step3One of the main factors that cause this trend is the shielding effect. As we move down a group, higher levels of electrons are encountered and they experience effective nuclear charge (they are farther from the nucleus), meaning their attractive force is significantly reduced. As a result of this, atomic/ion size increases in a group from top to bottom.