The correct order of radii of C, N, P, S follows the order

Options

A. `N lt C lt P lt S`
B. `C lt N lt S lt P`
C. `C lt N lt P lt S`
D. `N lt C lt S lt P`

Answer

To determine the correct order of radii of Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Sulfur (S), we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Periods and Groups
- Carbon (C) and Nitrogen (N) are in the 2nd period of the periodic table.
- Phosphorus (P) and Sulfur (S) are in the 3rd period.

### Step 2: Compare Sizes Across Periods
- Generally, as we move down a group in the periodic table, the atomic radius increases due to the addition of electron shells. Therefore, we can conclude that:
- The radius of Phosphorus (P) and Sulfur (S) will be larger than that of Carbon (C) and Nitrogen (N) because they are in a higher period (3rd period).

### Step 3: Compare Sizes Within the Same Period
- Within the same period, atomic size decreases from left to right due to an increase in effective nuclear charge. This means:
- In the 2nd period, Carbon (C) will have a larger radius than Nitrogen (N).
- In the 3rd period, Phosphorus (P) will have a larger radius than Sulfur (S).

### Step 4: Combine the Information
- From the above comparisons, we can summarize:
- C > N (in the 2nd period)
- P > S (in the 3rd period)
- P and S are larger than both C and N.

### Step 5: Establish the Overall Order
- Since both P and S are larger than C and N, and within each period, we have:
- P > S and C > N
- Therefore, the overall order of atomic radii is:
- P > S > C > N

### Conclusion
The correct order of radii of C, N, P, S is: **P > S > C > N**.

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