provide-a-possible-explanation-for-why-the-atomic-radii-of-zr-and-hf-are-the-sam

Question

Provide a possible explanation for why the atomic radii of Nb and Ta are almost the same even if they are on different periods in the periodic table.

Accepted Answer

The 4f electrons in Ta do not effectively shield the outer electrons, pulling the electron closer to the nucleus hence a smaller atomic radius.

Answer

Ta has more protons than Nb which cancels out the effect of additional electrons in Ta, hence a smaller atomic radius.

Answer

The atomic radius of elements decreases as you go down a group.

Answer

The 4f electrons do not significantly contribute to the overall size of the Ta atom, which caused Ta and Nb to have the same radii.