30 STRUCTURE AND BONDING
Table 2.1
Atomic
number
3
11
19
37
55
Element
Li
Na
K
Rb
Cs
Atomic
radius (s)*
0.152
0.186
0.227
0.248
0.263
Radius* of
M+/ \ ion
(nm)
0.060
0.095
0.133
0.148
0.169
lonisation energies (kJ mol ' )
1st 2nd 3rd
520
496
419
403
376
7297
4561
3069
2650
2420
11800
6913
4400
3900
3300
- Atoms (and ions), unlike ordinary solid spheres, do not have fixed radii; their electron distributions are
affected by the other atoms (or ions) to which they are bonded, and by the nature of this bonding. However,
approximate values of atomic size are clearly of value. For a metal, the radius quoted is the 'metallic radius', this
being half the average mtcrnuclcar distance in the metal For gaseous diatomic molecules joined by a single
covalent bond (for example Ct Cl), half the Internuclear distance is taken as the 'covalent radius of the atom.
In the solid noble gases, chemical bonds do not exist, and the solids are held together by weak 'van der Waal's'
forces (p. 471). Half the internuclear distance is then called the 'van der Waal's' radius. For solid non metals, the
'atomic radius* may refer to the bulk solid (as for a metal), or to a molecular species such as I 2 , P 4 , or to the free
atoms. Measurements of the internuclear distance in a solid ionic compound MX gives the sum of the ionic
radii of M and X. For most purposes, it is sufficient to assume that ionk radii are constant; with this assumption,
individual ionic radii can be calculated if the radius of one ion can be determined. This can be done by several
methods which lie outside the scope of this book. Ionic radii quoted in this book are based on Pauling's value for
the O^2 " ion.
Table 2.2
Atomic
number
4
12
20
38
56
«..
Be
Mg
Ca
Sr
Ba
Atomic
radius
(s)*
0.112
0.160
0.197
0.215
0.221
Radius* of
M2+ion
(nm)
0.031
0.065
0.099
0.113
0.135
lonisat ion energies (kJ mol ')
1st
899
738
590
549
502
2nd
1758
1450
1 146
1064
965
3rd
14850
7731
4942
4200
—
4th
21000
10540
6500
5500
—
' See footnote to Table 2.1.
Table 2.3
Atomic
number
5
13
31
49
81
B
Al
Ga
In
Tl
Atomic
(nm)
0.079
0.143
0.153
0.167
0.171
Radius* of
M^3 + inn
(nm)
(0.020)
0.045
0.062
0.081
0.095
lonisation energies (kJ mol *)
1st
801
578
579
558
589
2nd
2428
1817
1979
1820
1970
3rd
3660
2745
2962
2705
2880
4th
25020
11580
6190
5250
4890
Sec footnote to Table 2,1.