The elements in this group have a full outer electronic shell and thus, the elements in this group have no tendency to lose, gain or share electrons. Thus, the elements in the group are chemically inert.
All the elements in this group are gaseous. Because of their
chemical inertness, the elements in this group are called the
Nobel Gases :
Helium
Neon
Argon
Krypton
Xenon
Radon
The elements in this group have one electron in their outer electronic shell. Thus, each element in this group has a tendency to lose a single electron, to form a singly charged positive ion, which has the stable electronic configuration of its neighbouring Nobel Gas element in the periodic table.
The elements in the group are chemically reactive.
The group is divided into two sub-groups.
Hydrogen is included in this group because it has a single electron in its outer electronic shell. However, hydrogen has none of the metallic properties of the alkali metals.
The elements in this group have two electrons in their outer electronic shell. Thus, each element in this group has a tendency to lose two electron, to form a doubly charged positive ion, which has the stable electronic configuration of its neighbouring Nobel Gas element in the periodic table.
The elements in the group are chemically reactive.
The elements in this group have three electrons in their outer-most electronic shell. The electronic configurations of the n th orbitals (i.e. outer-most orbitals) are ns2 np1. Thus, each element in this group has a tendency to lose three electron, to form a triply charged positive ion, which has the stable electronic configuration of its nearest neighbouring Nobel Gas element in the periodic table.
The elements in the group are chemically reactive.
The following elements also have the same electronic configuration as lanthanum (i.e. 4s2 4p1) in their outer-most electronic orbitals, while the inner 3d orbitals are being filled, from going from element to element.ActiniumCerium
Praeseodymium
Neodymium
Promethium
Samarium
Europium
Gadolinium
Terbium
Dysprosium
Holmium
Erbium
Thulium
Ytterbium
Lutecium
These are the transition elements, and are also called the Lanthanides.
The following elements also have the same electronic configuration as actinium (i.e. 5s2 5p1) in their outer-most electronic orbitals, while the inner 4d orbitals are being filled, on going from element to element.Neptunium
Plutonium
Americium
Curium
Berkelium
These are the inner transition elements, and are also called the Actinides.
The elements in this group have four electrons in their outer electronic shell. Thus, each element in this group has a tendency to share these four electrons, to form covalent compounds, thereby gaining the stable electronic configuration of its neighbouring Nobel Gas element in the periodic table.
The elements in the group are chemically reactive.
The elements in this group have five electrons in their outer electronic shell. Thus, each element in this group has a tendency to gain three two electron, to form a triple charged negative ion, which has the stable electronic configuration of its nearest neighbouring Nobel Gas element in the periodic table.
The elements in the group are chemically reactive.
The elements in this group have six electrons in their outer electronic shell. Thus, each element in this group has a tendency to gain two electron, to form a doubly charged negative ion, which has the stable electronic configuration of its nearest neighbouring Nobel Gas element in the periodic table.
The elements in the group are chemically reactive.
The elements in this group have seven electrons in their outer electronic shell. Thus, each element in this group has a tendency to lose an electron, to form a singly charged negative ion, which has the stable electronic configuration of its nearest neighbouring Nobel Gas element in the periodic table.
The elements in the group are chemically reactive.
This group contains three triads of elements, in the center of the periodic table.
IronThese elements have the typical properties of metals, metallic luster, tensile strength, and rightly.
Cobalt
Nickel
The elements are arranged in the sequence of their increasing atomic numbers into the periodic table, which is arranged in rows and columns, so that elements with similar chemical properties are in the same vertical column.
The elements which are in the same columns are said to be in the same group, and they have similar chemical properties.