Which of the following statements is correct?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

SSC CPO 2022 Tier-I Official Paper (Held On 10 Nov 2022 Shift 2) [Answer Key]

Atomic radius increases across a period and decreases down a group in the periodic table.
Atomic radius decreases across a period and increases down a group in the periodic table.
Atomic radius decreases across a period and down a group in the periodic table.
Atomic radius increases across a period and increases down a group in the periodic table.

Answer 1

The correct answer is Atomic radius decreases across a period and increases down a group in the periodic table.

Key Points

Atomic radius is the distance between the nucleus's centre and its outermost, electron-containing shell.
It is the distance from the nucleus's core to the region where the electron cloud's density is at its highest.
Atomic radius typically increases down a group and decreases across a period.
Across a period, effective nuclear charge increases as electron shielding remain constant.
A reduced atomic radius is the result of the electron cloud being drawn closer to the nucleus due to a higher effective nuclear charge's greater attraction to the electrons.
Down a group, the number of energy levels (n) increases, so there is a greater distance between the nucleus and the outermost orbital.
The atomic radius increases as a result.