Question

Arrange the following types of atomic radii in increasing order of their values:
van der Waals radius, Covalent Radius, Metallic Radius

• A. $\text{Metallic Radius}<\text{Van der Waals Radius}<\text{Covalent Radius}$
• B. $\text{Covalent Radius}<\text{Metallic Radius}<\text{Van der Waals Radius}$
• C. $\text{Van der Waals Radius}=\text{Metallic Radius}=\text{Covalent Radius}$
• D. $\text{Van der Waals Radius}<\text{Metallic Radius}<\text{Covalent Radius}$

Answer 1

The correct option is B $\text{Covalent Radius}<\text{Metallic Radius}<\text{Van der Waals Radius}$

A covalent bond is formed by sharing of electrons, during which the corresponding atoms come close to each other.
A metallic radius is half the distance between the centers of nuclei of two adjacent atoms in a metal lattice.
Van der Waals radius is half the distance between the two atoms that are not bonded to each other and are not in the same molecule.

Therefore, the increasing order of their radii would be $\text{Covalent radius}<\text{Metallic radius}<\text{Van der Waals radius.}$