Use the periodic table to compare the sizes of ionic radii with the corresponding atomic radii or other ionic radii. Choose from smaller and larger in the blanks below: A sodium cation is smallerlarger than a sodium atom.

A sodium atom loses one electron to form a sodium cation, Na⁺. The remaining electrons experience a stronger pull from the nucleus, and the outer electron shell is removed, so the cation has a smaller radius than the neutral atom. The correct choice is smaller.

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