CORRELATION BETWEEN HARDNESS, POLARIZABILITY, AND SIZE OF ATOMS, MOLECULES, AND CLUSTERS

Interesting correlations between the hardness, polarizability, and size of different systems like atoms, molecules, metal clusters, and carbon clusters are demonstrated to exist. This provides support for the use of these physical properties for qualitative characterization of the hard soft acid base concept. Some of these correlations might also be useful in predicting hardness or softness or polarizability of a species from its size.