Explain why vanadium (radius = 134 pm) and copper (radius = 128 pm) have nearly identical atomic radii, even though the atomic number of copper is about 25% higher than that of vanadium. What would you predict about the relative densities of these two metals? Look up the densities in a reference book, periodic table, or on the Web. Are your predictions correct?

Question

Chemistry

Randall Ashley

20 July, 22:43

Explain why vanadium (radius = 134 pm) and copper (radius = 128 pm) have nearly identical atomic radii, even though the atomic number of copper is about 25% higher than that of vanadium. What would you predict about the relative densities of these two metals? Look up the densities in a reference book, periodic table, or on the Web. Are your predictions correct?

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Anthony Clay · Answer 1

Copper is likely to have a higher relative density due to the fact that it has a greater mass packed in a smaller volume.

This is in fact true, as the density of copper is 8.96 g/cm³ and density of vanadium is 3.36 g/cm³.