Asked by knmk

When electrons are removed from the outermost shell of a calcium atom, the atom becomes
an anion that has a larger radius than the atom.
an anion that has a smaller radius than the atom.
a cation that has a larger radius than the atom.
a cation that has a smaller radius than the atom.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
a cation that has a smaller radius than the atom.

Explanation: removing electrons produces a positively charged ion (cation). With fewer electrons and the same nuclear charge, the remaining electrons are pulled closer to the nucleus (reduced electron–electron repulsion), so the ionic radius is smaller. For Ca, Ca → Ca2+ (loses 4s electrons) yields a much smaller radius.