Size of the Elements on the Periodic Table

Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.

Updated on November 05, 2019

The size of atoms of elements may be expressed in terms of atomic radius or ionic radius. In both cases, there is a periodic table trend.

Size of the Elements on the Periodic Table

Periodic table showing the relative sizes of the elements based on atomic radius data.

This special periodic table shows the relative size of atoms of periodic table elements based on atomic radius data. Each atom is shown relative to the largest atom, cesium. You can download a PDF version of the table for printing.

Atomic Radius Trend on the Periodic Table

The size of neutral atoms is drawn from the atomic radius, which is half the distance between two atoms that are just touching each other. If you look at the table, you can see there is a clear trend in atomic radius. Atomic radius is one of the periodic properties of the elements.

As you move down an element group (column), the size of atoms increases. This is because each atom further down the column has more protons and neutrons and also gains an additional electron energy shell.
As you move across an element period (row), the overall size of atoms decreases slightly. Even though atoms further to the right have more protons, neutrons, and electrons, the outer electron shell is the same. The increased number of protons exerts a stronger positive charge, pulling the electrons in toward the nucleus.

Cite this Article Your Citation

Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Size of the Elements on the Periodic Table." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/element-size-on-the-periodic-table-608793. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2023, April 5). Size of the Elements on the Periodic Table. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/element-size-on-the-periodic-table-608793 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Size of the Elements on the Periodic Table." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/element-size-on-the-periodic-table-608793 (accessed September 11, 2024).

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