Based on the profound effect of the lanthanide contraction, the experimentally established covalent radius of Zirconium (, ) is exactly pm. What is the approximate, universally accepted corresponding

Question

Based on the profound effect of the lanthanide contraction, the experimentally established covalent radius of Zirconium ($Zr$, $Z=40$) is exactly $160$ pm. What is the approximate, universally accepted corresponding atomic radius (in pm) for Hafnium ($Hf$, $Z=72$) to the nearest whole integer?

Prashant Kotian · Accepted Answer

Correct answer: 159. Despite Hafnium possessing an entire extra electron shell (principal quantum number ) compared to Zirconium (), the highly ineffective shielding provided by the fully occupied orbitals in Hafnium allows the massive increase in nuclear protons to shrink the atomic boundaries drastically. The resulting radius for is approximately pm, essentially identical to at pm.

💡 Solution & Explanation

Practice 22,000+ questions like this