JEE MAIN - Chemistry (2022 - 26th July Morning Shift - No. 3)
Given two statements below :
Statement I : In $$\mathrm{Cl}_{2}$$ molecule the covalent radius is double of the atomic radius of chlorine.
Statement II : Radius of anionic species is always greater than their parent atomic radius.
Choose the most appropriate answer from options given below :
Explanation
The given statements pertain to the concepts of atomic and ionic radii in chemical bonding and periodic properties. Let's analyze each statement individually for clarity.
Statement I: In $$\mathrm{Cl}_{2}$$ molecule the covalent radius is double of the atomic radius of chlorine.
The atomic radius of an element like chlorine refers to the size of its atoms, typically measured when the element is in its gas phase and not bonded to anything else. The covalent radius, on the other hand, is a measure of the size of an atom that forms part of a single covalent bond - it's essentially half the distance between two atoms bonded together.
In the case of a $$\mathrm{Cl}_{2}$$ molecule, the covalent bond is formed between two chlorine atoms. Therefore, the distance from the nucleus of one chlorine atom to the nucleus of the other (the bond length) is essentially twice the covalent radius of chlorine. This makes the statement true only if correctly interpreted: the covalent bond length is double the covalent radius, but it tends to be conflated with the concept of the atomic radius. However, it is important to clarify that the atomic radius and covalent radius are different measures. In a diatomic molecule like $$\mathrm{Cl}_2$$, saying the covalent radius is "double of the atomic radius" is inaccurate. The precise statement should be that the bond length (twice the covalent radius) is not directly twice the atomic radius but rather the distance between the nuclei of the bonding atoms. Therefore, this statement as phrased is misleading or incorrect.
Statement II: Radius of anionic species is always greater than their parent atomic radius.
This statement is based on the idea that when an atom gains electrons and becomes an anion, the increased electron-electron repulsions in the electron cloud cause it to expand. This is generally true across the periodic table. For example, when chlorine gains an electron to become $$\mathrm{Cl}^{-}$$, its radius increases due to the addition of an extra electron which increases repulsion among electrons and expands the electron cloud. This principle holds for virtually all anions compared to their parent atoms, so Statement II is correct.
Given the analysis, the correct option is:
Option D: Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct.
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