Given the task definition and input, reply with output. In this task, you are given a question and answer for that. The answer will fill in the blank or will complete the unfinished question. Your task is to provide an explanation based on the given question or fill-in-the-blank statement, and answer.

Question: In science class, kids learned about how when atoms are smaller, the distance between the valence electrons and the nucleus is 
 Answer: smaller

In bigger atoms, valence electrons are farther from the nucleus.