* Electrostatic Attraction: The nucleus of an atom has a positive charge, and the electrons have a negative charge. These opposite charges attract each other.

* Electron Shielding: Electrons in the inner shells of an atom help to shield the outer electrons from the full force of the nucleus's attraction.

* Loss of Electron: When an atom loses an electron, it loses a negative charge. This means the positive charge of the nucleus now has a stronger pull on the remaining electrons.

* Reduced Electron Cloud: The increased attraction pulls the remaining electrons closer to the nucleus, effectively shrinking the electron cloud and reducing the overall atomic radius.

In summary: Losing an electron reduces the electron-electron repulsion and increases the effective nuclear charge, causing the remaining electrons to be pulled closer to the nucleus, resulting in a smaller atomic radius.