Atomic Radii of Fe and Ni: Which to Trust?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the varying atomic radii values for iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) sourced from different references, including Wikipedia (126 pm for Fe), PhysLink (1.72 Å), and Chemicool (140 pm). Participants highlight the importance of context, noting that atomic radii can differ based on factors such as oxidation state and coordination number. The conversation emphasizes that the atomic radius is often defined in the gas phase, and the choice of radius can significantly impact calculations, such as plane density for specific crystal structures (BCC and FCC).

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of atomic radius definitions and variations
  • Familiarity with crystal structures, specifically Body-Centered Cubic (BCC) and Face-Centered Cubic (FCC)
  • Knowledge of plane density calculations in crystallography
  • Basic concepts of ionic radii and their dependence on coordination number and oxidation state
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the IUPAC standards for atomic radii and their definitions
  • Learn about the differences between ionic and covalent radii
  • Study the impact of atomic radius on material properties in solid-state physics
  • Explore crystallography resources for calculating plane density in various crystal structures
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in materials science, chemistry, and physics who are involved in crystallography, atomic structure analysis, or material property calculations.

Dell
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for the calculations in one of my homework questions, i need to use the atomic radii of Fe and Ni, the problem is that every site i come across gives me different values

Fe
wikipedia 126pm
physlink 1.72A
chemicool 140pm


how do i know which one to "trust" ?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Is that zero valent iron and nickel or one of their ions?

The ionic radii for ions are a function of their coordination number and oxidation #.
 
I think I have seen such data on IUPAC site, even if it is not correct, source sounds as reliably as possible.

No idea what is the definition of atomic radius, could be differences can be attributed to different understanding of what the atomic radius is.

--
 
It is likely the atomic radius in gas phase. Putting a metal atom in a metal lattice can change the radius as well.
 
chemisttree said:
It is likely the atomic radius in gas phase. Putting a metal atom in a metal lattice can change the radius as well.

That's more or less what I am aiming at - depending on the way you want it, you will get different numbers. Even in the gas phase it is not obvious to me what 'size' means, as atoms don't end abruptly :wink:

--
 
im really confused,, the question goes like this

find the plane density for the plane [1 1 1] of the following:

iron (BCC)
nickel (FCC)

for [111] i know that
BCC- R=sqrt(3)/4*a
FCC- R=sqrt(2)/4*a

PD=n/A

BCC[111]- PD=sqrt(3)/(16*R^2)
FCC[111]- PD=sqrt(3)/(6*R^2)now all i need to do is find the CORRECT radius to use, i used
FE 126pm
Ni 124 pm

and got

PD(Fe)= 6.818*10^-6 [atoms/pm^2]
PD(Ni)= 1.877*10^-5 [atoms/pm^2]

but i don't know if that's right
 

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