Oxygen vs. Sulfur Atomic Radius: Understanding Periodic Trends
The atomic radius of sulfur (S) is greater than that of oxygen (O). Atomic radius generally decreases across a period (row) of the periodic table from left to right due to an increase in the effective nuclear charge experienced by the electrons. Oxygen and sulfur belong to the same period (period 2), but sulfur is located to the right of oxygen. Therefore, sulfur has a larger atomic radius than oxygen.