Question

How does the loss or gain of an electron affect the atomic radius?

Answer 1

Is not the atomic radius defined by the orbit of the valence electron?

Explanation:

And thus oxidation should reduce the atomic radius (i.e. `"the ionic radius"` is reduced with respect to the parent atom):

`"Atom" +Deltararrunderbrace("Atom"^(+))_"smaller cation" + e^(-)`

And reduction should INCREASE the radius with respect to the parent atom.

`"Atom" +e^(-)rarrunderbrace("Atom"^(-))_"larger anion"`

This is good illustration that illustrates this principle:

And, as is typical, metals, electron-rich materials, lose electrons to form cations. And non-metals, electron-poor materials from the right hand side of the Table (i.e. with enhanced nuclear charge), accept electrons to form anions. The units are in `"picometres"-=10^-12*m`. Do these data support what we have argued? Why or why not?