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Magnesium is smaller than calcium because it has less shells of electron although both elements have the same number of valence electrons calcium has one more shell. However sodiums electron configuration is 2.8.1 which gives it three shells of electron- the same as magnesium it also has less protons in it's nucleus so it appears that sodium is smaller than magnesium not the other way around. Hope this helps :)

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June Douglas

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The magnesium atom is smaller than sodium and calcium because it has a higher nuclear charge and fewer electron shielding effects. This results in a stronger attraction between the nucleus and the electrons, causing the electrons to be pulled closer to the nucleus and resulting in a smaller atomic size.

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AnswerBot

9mo ago
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It's smaller than calcium because it has one less electron shell. It's smaller than sodium despite having the same number of shells because it has a higher first ionization energy and therefore holds its electrons more tightly.

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15y ago
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Yes, aluminum atoms are smaller than magnesium atoms. Aluminium has a metallic radius of 0.143 nm and magnesium is 0.160 nm.

This is counter-intuitive: it's natural to picture the atoms getting larger as you go across the Periodic Table, adding protons, neutrons and electrons as you go. But think about where the electrons are being added to: they are going into the same shell, at the same distance from the nucleus - in this case shell number 3 (don't think about s and p, it's not helpful here!) So in Mg we have 12 protons in the nucleus pulling in all the electrons, and in Al we have 13 protons pulling in all the electrons. Al's nucleus is bigger, so will have more impact on the outer electrons and pull them in ever so slightly more than for Mg. Remember that both Mg and Al have the same number of inner electrons shielding the outer ones from the effect of the nuclear charge.

This trend is the same right across the periodic table; radius decreases across a period. Of course it increases down a group as you are adding another shell.

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13y ago
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Magnesium is smaller than calcium because it has less shells of electron although both elements have the same number of valence electrons calcium has one more shell. However sodiums electron configuration is 2.8.1 which gives it three shells of electron- the same as magnesium it also has less protons in it's nucleus so it appears that sodium is smaller than magnesium not the other way around. Hope this helps :)

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Wiki User

14y ago
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Yes. Atomic size goes up as you go down any column in the periodic table

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17y ago
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I believe mg is smaller, because it has more protons to contain it's electrons... but check out this site: webelements.com

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Wiki User

13y ago
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no it is not

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Wiki User

14y ago
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Barium has a larger radius than magnesium

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Wiki User

12y ago
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Q: Why is the magnesium atom smaller than sodium and calcium?
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Why is it harder to remove an electron from Magnesium than it is to remove an electron from Calcium?

It is harder to remove an electron from Magnesium than from Calcium because Magnesium has a higher effective nuclear charge due to its smaller atomic radius, resulting in stronger attraction between the nucleus and the electrons. This makes it more difficult to remove an electron from a Magnesium atom compared to a Calcium atom.


Why is it easier to remove an electron from a sodium atom than from a magnesium atom?

Phosphorus has a higher energy level so it pulls harder on its electrons.


Why is the ionistaion energy of magnesium higher than that of sodium?

The ionization energy of magnesium is higher than that of sodium because magnesium has a higher nuclear charge and more protons in its nucleus, leading to stronger attraction to its electrons. This makes it more difficult to remove an electron from a magnesium atom compared to a sodium atom.


Is calcium higher than sodium in the electrochemical series?

No, calcium is lower than sodium in the electrochemical series. This means that calcium is less reactive than sodium and has a higher reduction potential.


Which is the smallest atom magnesium calcium barium or strontium?

Strontium is the smallest atom among magnesium, calcium, barium, and strontium. This is because as you move down a group in the periodic table, atomic size increases due to the addition of more electron shells. Strontium is located lowest in the group 2 elements, so it has the smallest atomic size among the four elements listed.