Question

Consider the ions Sc³⁺, Cl^-, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and S^2-. Match these ions to the following pictures that represent the relative sizes of the ions.

Short answer

Answer

K⁺ Ca²⁺ Sc³⁺ S^2- Cl^-

Step-by-step solution

Describing the ionic radius

The ionic radius is the minimum distance between the nucleus and peripheral shell of an ion. In general, Cations are smaller and anions are larger than their respective atom.

Determining the trend across the periods in the periodic table

With a move from left to right in the periodic table, the electronegativity of the element increases, and the atomic size of the element decreases due to effective nuclear charge.

Determining the size of anion and cation

The more the nuclear charge, the less the size of an ion. The anion has less nuclear charge so the size of the anion increases. In cation, the atom loses electrons from its outer shell which leads to more nuclear charge gradually decreasing.