Question

7. What do you understand by the term lanthanide contraction? Explain how the said has an effect on atomic radius of lanthanide atoms?

Answer 1

Answer:

The atomic size or the ionic radii of tri positive lanthanide ions decrease steadily from La to Lu due to increasing nuclear charge and electrons entering inner (n-2) f orbital. This gradual decrease in the size with an increasing atomic number is called lanthanide contraction.