How can sodium ions, magnesium ions, and aluminum ions have the same electron configuration but not the same ionic radii?AThey have different numbers of protons attracting the remaining electronsBThe remaining electrons are in higher energy levelsCAs nuclear charge increases, the size of the electron cloud increasesDThe remaining electrons are shielded from the nucleus by quot;dquot; electrons.Anyone smart enough to know? :|
These three ions are iso-electronic, but they do not have the same ionic radius because they have different numbers of protons in their nucleiThis means that Al has the greatest nuclear charge and will attract the electrons more, giving Al3+ the smallest ionic radiusTherefore (A) is the best answer.
