In which of the following processes energy is absorbed? — Periodic Table and Periodicity Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Step 1: Compare the species Na+, Ne, and F-. Na+ and F- are ions, while Ne is a noble gas. Step 2: While they are isoelectronic with 10 electrons, the radius of the noble gas Neon is measured in terms of its van der Waals radius (~154 pm), which is inherently larger than the ionic radii of F- (~133 pm) and Na+ (~102 pm) due to lack of chemical bonding. Step 3: Therefore, Ne is the largest in size, which corresponds to option (b).