What is lanthanide contraction?What are its consequences?
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Lanthanoid contraction. Lanthanoid contraction, also called lanthanide contraction, in chemistry, the steady decrease in the size of the atoms and ions of the rare earth elements with increasing atomic number from lanthanum (atomic number 57) through lutetium (atomic number 71).
TheLanthanide Contraction is the result of a poor shielding effect of the 4f electrons. The shielding effect is described as the phenomenon by which the inner-shell electrons shield the outer-shell electrons so they are not effected by nuclear charge.