All Kinds of Cycling Equipment

All Carbon
Carbon is a nonmetal, silicon is a metalloid, and tin is a metal-why are they all in the same family?

Carbon is a nonmetal, silicon is a metalloid, and tin is a metal. They are all in the SAME FAMILY/GROUP. Yet, they all possess different behaviors! WHy??

This question could apply equally to groups 15 or 16.

Non-metals form polyatomic molecules in the elemental state. (ie. diamond, N2, P4, O2, S8).
Metals form uniform matrices with metallic bonding.

In C the 2s and 2p electrons are close in energy and can hybridize to give the sp^3 hybrid orbital set.
As one progresses down the group there is a growing difference in energy between the s orbital set , which forms the diamond matrix. For Pb, the s orbitals are burried under the p orbitals and are less reactive. The sp^3 hybrid cannot easily form. Metallic bonds form instead.

Notice also that for C, Si, and Ge the +2 oxidation state is not common. However Sn and Pb easily form this state. Notice also that in group 13 only Tl has +1 as the more common oxidation state. The others are +3

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More than 10 months ago, a team of nine geologists spread across the mountains south of Craig and began gathering data critical to determining if the area would be suitable for an experimental process known as carbon sequestration. Although those geologists left the area in the middle of the summer, their work is continuing into the winter months as part of the three-year project, which has ...
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