Which of the following is a property of lanthanide contraction?
Practice Questions
Q1
Which of the following is a property of lanthanide contraction?
Increase in atomic size
Decrease in ionization energy
Increase in electronegativity
Decrease in atomic radius
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which of the following is a property of lanthanide contraction?
Step 1: Understand what lanthanides are. They are a series of 15 elements from lanthanum (La) to lutetium (Lu) in the periodic table.
Step 2: Learn about atomic radius. Atomic radius is the size of an atom, which can change as you move across a series in the periodic table.
Step 3: Know what lanthanide contraction means. It is the phenomenon where the atomic radius decreases as you move from lanthanum to lutetium.
Step 4: Recognize the reason for lanthanide contraction. It happens because the f-electrons (which are added as you go across the series) do not shield the positive charge of the nucleus very well.
Step 5: Conclude that the poor shielding of f-electrons leads to a stronger attraction between the nucleus and the electrons, causing the atomic radius to decrease.
