Question

How is the nuclear radius defined?

Options

• Half the distance between two neighbouring nuclei in a solid

• The effective distance from the centre of the nucleus to its outer boundary

• The distance between the nucleus and the innermost electron orbit

• The exact distance to the sharp outer edge of the nucleus

Answer 1

The nuclear radius is the effective distance from the centre of the nucleus to its outer boundary. Since the nucleus does not have a perfectly sharp surface, this radius is treated as an approximate effective value in physics.