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The atom does not have a definite boundary. In order to determine
the exact radius, r, of an atom, it is necessary to think about this in terms
of the chances of finding an electron at a distance r from the nucleus.
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Take a look at the image to the right, the bluish-grey colour gradient represents the electron cloud that surrounds the atom. The nucleus resides at the center of the atom. The colour gradation represents the probabilities or chances of finding the electron around the nucleus. The darker the electron cloud, the higher the probability of locating electrons in that volume of space. |
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| As one moves outward from the nucleus, the distance, r, increases. The chances of locating electrons at a greater distance from the nucleus will become less. Therefore, the atom size is based on the average distance between the outer electrons and the nucleus. | |
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 All contents copyrighted © 1996-2006 British Columbia Institute of Technology Chemistry Department - 3700 Willingdon Avenue Burnaby, B.C. Canada V5G 3H2 |