At. radii

[johncena]

Main Question or Discussion Point

How does atomic radii decrease when we move left to right in a periodic table? Though the nuclear charge increase as a result of increase in number of protons,the same increase is occuring in number of electrons.

 

[espen180]

 

[Char. Limit]

All of your statements are correct. However, the increased number of protons pull more on each electron, whether or not there are more electrons around the atom. So the electrons get closer together.

So, there are more protons in the nucleus to pull on the electrons, and the electrons aren't exactly pushing each other outward with as much strength as the protons are pulling the orbitals inward, so the radius gets smaller.