Question

Polarization is the distortion of the shape of an anion by an adjacently placed cation. Which of the following statements is correct

• A. Maximum polarization is brought about by a cation of high charge
• B. Minimum polarization is brought about by a cation of low radius
• C. A large cation is likely to bring about a large degree of polarization
• D. A small anion is likely to undergo a large degree of polarization

Answer 1

The correct option is A

Maximum polarization is brought about by a cation of high charge

Rules indicating the extent to which an ionic bond has covalent character caused by polarization of the ions. Covalent character is more likely if:
(1) the charge of the ions is high
(2) the positive ion is small or the negative ion is large
(3) the positive ion has an outer electron configuration that is not a noble-gas configuration.