The space-filling model emphasises the relative size of each atom based on its _______.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. van der Waals radius.
The space-filling model of a molecule emphasizes the relative size of each atom based on its van der Waals radius. This model shows atoms as solid spheres that are scaled to reflect how much physical space each atom occupies, giving a realistic representation of the molecule’s shape and volume. It helps visualize how molecules pack together and interact through non-bonded contacts. Unlike other models like ball-and-stick, the space-filling model hides bonds but better demonstrates molecular crowding and surface properties. It's especially useful in understanding intermolecular interactions, such as enzyme-substrate binding or molecular docking in biological systems.
Other Options:
-
Ionic radius: Represents the size of ions, relevant in ionic compounds, not molecular models.
-
Fixed radius for all atoms: Incorrect; atoms have different sizes, making this assumption unrealistic.
-
Covalent radius: Used to estimate bond lengths in ball-and-stick models, not for overall atomic volume.