Why are cations smaller than neutral atom?

Explanation

To understand why cations are smaller than their corresponding neutral atoms, we can break down the explanation into several steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution

1. **Definition of Cations**: A cation is a positively charged ion that forms when a neutral atom loses one or more electrons.

2. **Formation of Cations**: When a neutral atom loses an electron, it undergoes a change in its electronic structure. For example, if we consider a sodium atom (Na), which has 11 electrons, when it loses one electron, it becomes a sodium cation (Na⁺) with only 10 electrons.

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