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Correct Answer: fluorine.
when considering the ion with the largest ionic radius in period 2 of the periodic table, it is crucial to understand the effects of electron gain or loss on the atomic structure of elements, as well as trends across the period. in period 2, the elements include lithium (li), beryllium (be), boron (b), carbon (c), nitrogen (n), oxygen (o), and fluorine (f).
the ionic radius of an atom is determined by the size of its electron cloud. when atoms form ions, they either lose or gain electrons, leading to changes in their electron cloud and, consequently, their ionic radius. metals, which are typically found on the left side of the periodic table, tend to lose electrons and form cations, which results in a decrease in ionic radius due to a reduced electron-electron repulsion and a stronger attraction from the nucleus. non-metals, on the other hand, tend to gain electrons and form anions, which leads to an increase in ionic radius due to increased electron-electron repulsion and a slight shielding effect from the additional electrons.
in period 2, as we move from left to right, the elements transition from metals to non-metals. starting with metals like lithium, beryllium, and boron, these elements have ionic radii of 0.76 å, 0.35 å, and 0.23 å, respectively, as cations. comparatively, non-metal fluorine, when it gains an electron to form the fluoride anion (f^-), experiences an increase in its ionic radius to 1.33 å. this increase is due to the addition of an electron to its valence shell, which introduces more electron-electron repulsion and a larger electron cloud.
therefore, among the ions of period 2 elements, fluorine as f^- has the largest ionic radius. this is a direct consequence of its electron gain as a non-metal, contrasting with the decrease in ionic radii observed in metals which lose electrons. the trends observed across the period confirm this characteristic, where ionic radii generally decrease for metals as they lose electrons and increase for non-metals as they gain electrons. thus, in answering the question, fluorine, in its ionic form as f^-, has the largest ionic radius in period 2.
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