Covalent radius of `Li`is ` 123 pm` .The crystal radius of Li will be:

Options

A. `lt`123 pm
B. `=`123 pm
C. `lt`123 pm
D. 123/2 pm

Answer

To find the crystal radius of lithium (Li) given its covalent radius of 123 pm, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Definitions
- **Covalent Radius**: This is the radius of an atom when it is bonded to another atom, representing the distance at which the electron clouds of two atoms overlap.
- **Crystal Radius**: This is the radius of an atom in a crystal lattice structure, where atoms are arranged in a repeating pattern.

### Step 2: Compare Covalent and Crystal Radii
- It is important to note that the covalent radius is typically smaller than the crystal radius. This is because in a crystal lattice, the atoms are not overlapping as they do in a covalent bond, leading to a larger effective radius.

### Step 3: Conclusion about the Crystal Radius
- Since the covalent radius of lithium is given as 123 pm, we can conclude that the crystal radius will be greater than this value. Therefore, the crystal radius of lithium will be greater than 123 pm.

### Final Answer
- The crystal radius of lithium (Li) will be greater than 123 pm.