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Related Concept Videos

Ionic Radii03:10

Ionic Radii

Ionic radius is the measure used to describe the size of an ion. A cation always has fewer electrons and the same number of protons as the parent atom; it is smaller than the atom from which it is derived. For example, the covalent radius of an aluminum atom (1s22s22p63s23p1) is 118 pm, whereas the ionic radius of an Al3+ (1s22s22p6) is 68 pm. As electrons are removed from the outer valence shell, the remaining core electrons occupying smaller shells experience a greater effective nuclear...
Atomic Radii and Effective Nuclear Charge03:08

Atomic Radii and Effective Nuclear Charge

The elements in groups of the periodic table exhibit similar chemical behavior. This similarity occurs because the members of a group have the same number and distribution of electrons in their valence shells.
Trends in Lattice Energy: Ion Size and Charge02:54

Trends in Lattice Energy: Ion Size and Charge

An ionic compound is stable because of the electrostatic attraction between its positive and negative ions. The lattice energy of a compound is a measure of the strength of this attraction. The lattice energy (ΔHlattice) of an ionic compound is defined as the energy required to separate one mole of the solid into its component gaseous ions. For the ionic solid sodium chloride, the lattice energy is the enthalpy change of the process:
Ionic Strength: Overview01:12

Ionic Strength: Overview

The ionic strength of a solution is a quantitative way of expressing the total electrolyte concentration of a solution. This concept was first introduced in 1921 by two American physical chemists, Gilbert N. Lewis and Merle Randall, while describing the activity coefficient of strong electrolytes. During the calculation of ionic strength (I or μ), all the cations and anions are considered. However, the concentration (c) of an ion with a greater charge number (z) has a greater contribution to...
Factors Affecting Activity Coefficient01:17

Factors Affecting Activity Coefficient

The extended Debye-Hückel equation indicates that the activity coefficient of an ion in an aqueous solution at 25°C depends on three partially interdependent properties: the ionic strength of the solution, the charge of the ion, and the ion size. 
The activity coefficient value for an ion is close to one when the solution has almost zero ionic strength, i.e., when the solution shows close to ideal behavior. As the ionic strength of the solution increases from 0 to 0.1 mol/L, a decrease in the...
Ionization Energy03:12

Ionization Energy

The amount of energy required to remove the most loosely bound electron from a gaseous atom in its ground state is called its first ionization energy (IE1). The first ionization energy for an element, X, is the energy required to form a cation with 1+ charge:

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IONIC RADIUS AND IONIC EFFICIENCY.

J Loeb1

  • 1Laboratories of The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.

The Journal of General Physiology
|October 30, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Ionic charge and radius significantly influence water diffusion rates across membranes. Larger anion radii enhance effects, while smaller cation radii increase efficiency, impacting electrolyte solutions.

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Area of Science:

  • Physical Chemistry
  • Electrochemistry
  • Membrane Science

Background:

  • Previous research established that electrolyte ions affect water diffusion rates across collodion membranes.
  • Ion charge sign relative to membrane charge influences water diffusion: same sign increases rate, opposite sign decreases rate.
  • Ion valency was previously shown to correlate with the magnitude of these diffusion effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of ionic radius, in addition to charge and valency, on water diffusion rates across membranes.
  • To elucidate the electrostatic mechanisms underlying the observed influence of ionic radius on ion-membrane interactions.
  • To propose a model for predicting the behavior of polyatomic ions based on their effective ionic radius.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental observation of water diffusion rates across collodion membranes in electrolyte solutions.
  • Systematic variation of ionic species (anions and cations) with different radii and charges.
  • Analysis of the relationship between ionic radius, valency, and observed changes in water diffusion.

Main Results:

  • Ionic radius significantly impacts water diffusion rates, independent of ion charge and valency.
  • For anions, increased ionic radius directly correlates with enhanced accelerating and depressing effects on water diffusion (e.g., I-).
  • For cations, decreased ionic radius directly correlates with enhanced effects on water diffusion (e.g., Li+).

Conclusions:

  • The electrostatic interaction between ions and the membrane, influenced by ionic radius, governs water diffusion.
  • Cation effects are stronger with smaller radii due to closer proximity of the positive nucleus to the membrane.
  • Anion effects are stronger with larger radii, attributed to the increased distance of the excess electron from its nucleus.