Question:medium

Among the following which one has the highest cation to anion size ratio?

Updated On: May 15, 2026
  • CsF
  • LiF
  • NaF
  • CsI
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

To determine which of the given compounds has the highest cation to anion size ratio, we need to consider the ionic radii of the cations and anions in each compound. The formula for the cation to anion size ratio is:

\text{Size Ratio} = \frac{\text{Radius of Cation}}{\text{Radius of Anion}}

  • CsF: The cation is Cs+ and the anion is F-. Cesium ions (Cs+) have a larger ionic radius compared to lithium (Li+) and sodium (Na+), while fluorine ions (F-) are relatively small.
  • LiF: The cation is Li+ and the anion is F-. Lithium ions (Li+) are much smaller compared to Cs+, so the ratio of Li+ and F- is smaller.
  • NaF: The cation is Na+ and the anion is F-. Sodium ions (Na+) are larger than Li+ but smaller than Cs+.
  • CsI: The cation is Cs+ and the anion is I-. While Cs+ still has a large radius, iodine ions (I-) are significantly larger than F-. This results in a smaller ratio compared to CsF.

Out of all these compounds, CsF has the largest cation to anion size ratio because Cs+ is quite large compared to F-. The larger the difference in size between the cation and anion, the greater the ratio.

Thus, the compound with the highest cation to anion size ratio is CsF.

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