Potassium crystallizes in the body-centered cubic system.If the edge of the unit cell is 524 pm,what is the radius of a potassium atom in picometers?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In body-centered cubic system, the relationship between edge length (a) and radius (r) of the atom is:

a = 4√3r/3

Plugging in the given edge length: 
524 pm = 4√3r/3

Solving for r: 
r = (524 pm x 3)/(4√3) = 226.73 pm ≈ 227 pm

Therefore, the radius of a potassium atom in picometers is approximately 227 pm, which corresponds to choice A.

Potassium Crystallizes in the Body-Centered Cubic System