An atom has a valence shell configuration of ns2p5. To which group of elements in the periodic table does it belong?

transition metals
Halogens
alkaline earth metals
alkaline metal

Look up the electron configuration of the halogens. See if that could be it.

An atom with a valence shell configuration of ns2p5 belongs to the group of elements known as Halogens.

To determine to which group of elements an atom with a valence shell configuration of ns2p5 belongs to, we should first understand how the periodic table is organized. The periodic table is structured into groups and periods.

Groups in the periodic table are labeled with numbers 1 to 18, and elements within the same group share similar properties due to having the same number of valence electrons.

On the other hand, periods represent the energy levels or shells in which the electrons are found.

In the given valence shell configuration of ns2p5, "ns2" represents the electron configuration of the inner shell, while "p5" denotes the valence electrons in the outermost p orbital.

Since there are 5 electrons present in the p orbital, we can determine the group by examining the fifth element in group 5 of the periodic table.

Group 5 of the periodic table is known as the Halogens.

Therefore, an atom with a valence shell configuration of ns2p5 belongs to the Halogens group.