What is meant by lanthanide contraction? why it is more important than actinide contraction?
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Lanthanide contraction means "decrease in the size of atoms regularly with increase in atomic number from lanthanum(La) to leutium(Lu). It occurs due to poor shielding of nuclear charge by 4f electrons, thus 6s orbital experienced greater nuclear charge thus decrease in size occurs.
It is more important than actinoid contraction because as in actinoid , this decrease in size is due to 5f orbital that have a poorer shielding effect as of 4f orbital so this decrease in size is more in actinoids than lanthanoids.
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